Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 832 Martial Arts Snow Lotus (Part Two)

Lu Yuque lowered his head and wrapped it up again. He tied two tight knots and tucked it deep inside his body.

Then she picked up a meat bun, stuffed it into her mouth, and curled up on the bed fully clothed.

She didn't actually know why she brought this martial arts manual with her, and she still didn't have the energy to think about it.

Her father left her no last words, nor did he entrust her with any important tasks before his death. In fact, they didn't even have time to speak; their only conversation that day took place in the morning.

"Yu Que, you need to practice the Spring Branch Sword for an extra hour this afternoon." His face was as serious as ever.

"Hmm." She hurriedly left the martial arts arena, her mind still on the unfinished story of Shenjing. In springtime, the colors of flowers, leaves, and butterflies were vibrant in her eyes, while the original gray figure was only briefly touched at the edge of her vision.

The next glimpse was just a distant glance at the headless, one-armed corpse standing in the arena.

But when that tranquility solidified into a needle, pricking her eardrums and urging her heart and lungs to flee, she strangely went to the Martial Arts Pavilion. With a sword in one hand and nothing in the other, she instinctively grabbed this martial arts manual.

Otherwise, she felt empty inside.

Why did they want to kill us? She wondered blankly.

The "Unexplained Sword Sutra" is the highest inheritance of the Sword Abode. It is exquisite and powerful, but not some unparalleled divine skill. Otherwise, my father, who has practiced it for decades, should be more powerful than anyone else.

So what they care about is this snow lotus sprout. She thought.

Because the father discovered a way to choke it... What was this way?

she does not know.

These past two days, she has been racking her brains to unearth some memories that she hadn't paid much attention to, from sighs at the dinner table, from conversations with her senior brother that she overheard... but they are all so blurry.

Actually, when her father planned to make it public, he called her into his study alone and talked to her about some familiar things. She only remembered nodding without paying much attention and not asking any further questions.

Can't this method be used?
She couldn't quite figure it out. Or rather, she didn't have the time or energy to think about it.

With her eyes closed, she ate half of the steamed bun. At that moment, the only thought in her mind was that she couldn't fall asleep.

She arrived in Colorless City a night before the news of her family's massacre. She hitched a ride, rode a horse, and ran through the forest all night... She never thought she could accomplish these things. Clearly, she had never left home alone before, and she would lose her way as soon as she arrived in an unfamiliar place.

But it's not enough.

She knew she wasn't good at stealth or even running away.

If it weren't for that night... Lu Yuque suddenly shivered, and a deep-seated fear jolted her awake from her sleep.

...If it weren't for that thing, she wouldn't have been able to escape more than three miles from the villa.

This memory sent a chill down her spine. She quickly finished five steamed buns, ran over and locked the door, then took out the small bag of tools and began to re-apply makeup to her face.

It's easy to be ugly; she can draw ten different ugly faces. It's also easy to be beautiful; she can use her original face as a base. But it's difficult to be decent without attracting attention, but she happens to be able to draw it.

She can stay here for no more than an hour.

We must reach Lushan before dark.

Jian Du, Liu Ying, and Lu Shan. The three schools of Xilong Mountain in the south have always been of the same lineage. That night, when Lu Yuque was running wildly through the forest, he thought he had calmly considered his future.

You cannot stay in Suyab.

Those friends, those adoring ladies, those infatuated gentlemen—in my memory, they were all good people, and their friendships at gatherings were always genuine. But now, they all suddenly appear fragile and pale; not a single face can bear this weight.

She couldn't believe Xianrentai either.

The imperial court has committed one dirty deeds after another. Even if the Immortal Terrace in Huazhou can be trusted, the master of that terrace is far less capable than my father.

She couldn't bring herself to do something as foolish as going out to find the young master of the Changxing Sword Sect.

However, it seems that some of the people her father had encouraged her to get to know were still able to stand firm at this moment.

Lushan is the place she knows best.

Located 470 li from Huazhou, it has been situated in the Xilong region for over 400 years, boasting a rich and profound heritage.

Unlike Jiandu Villa, which has only a little over a hundred disciples, Lushan has five hundred registered disciples and countless properties. Although the current sect leader may not be as powerful as his father, they still have several lineage leaders and many true disciples.

At that time, Mount Lu will be able to gather the martial arts world.

Lu Yuque spent half an hour trying to keep his hands steady as he completed the face-changing procedure and put on the prepared clothes.

Before leaving, she took everything she needed to alter her appearance, but left her bundle and old clothes behind, making it seem as if she hadn't left, hoping to delay the pursuers in case.

Then she opened the back window and gently jumped out.

She had spent her last ingot of silver. She could exchange the dagger in her bosom for money, but she had already discarded her longsword; she didn't want to part with her last weapon. Fortunately, she still had the earrings she had taken off during her first disguise; she should be able to rent a fast horse.

The inn also operated as a carriage and horse shop, and Lu Yuque, acting as a guest, struck up a conversation with the innkeeper.

The group of people who had just left the inn were now standing on the street talking. Lu Yuque didn't want to hear those familiar words; each one was assaulting her tense nerves.

"The latest news says it was 'Flower Wound Tower' that did it," the middle-aged man in the long robe said in a low voice. "The flower-shaped knife wound is very clear."

After a moment of silence, Chief Cheng asked, "In Sect Leader Xu's eyes, what are my abilities?"

The middle-aged man in the long robe sternly said, "The name 'Iron Lion of Gushan' is praised throughout the four states, ranking among the top three. Chief Cheng's skills far surpass mine, I can only admire him."

"Has Sect Leader Xu met Master Lu?"

"...We met twice."

“I have met Master Lu six times and spoken with him twice.” Chief Cheng looked at the long street. “I am impulsive and straightforward, and my fighting spirit is restless. On both occasions, I thought about how I should fight if we were to start a fight.”

Sect Leader Xu looked at him and asked, "So, Chief Cheng sparred with Master Lu?"

"No. Because no matter how I thought about it, I was determined not to last more than six moves," Cheng Yun said. "Sect Leader Xu, Master Lu is very strong."

"..."

"Hua Shanglou alone could not have killed him."

Hua Shanglou couldn't possibly have killed my father.

"This pendant weighs at most three taels, so we need to add another three hundred coins."

"Shopkeeper, the raw materials alone cost twenty taels to make these earrings, so please stop arguing."

Hearing their conversation, Lu Yuque's attention was almost completely captured. The horse owner in front of her seemed to have spotted a fat sheep, insisting on extorting a few hundred more coins... She was willing to pay three hundred taels, but she truly had no money left. Her plan had not included wasting even a moment in front of a greedy horse owner.

In fact, she couldn't help but think that since this gang leader Cheng seemed to be a steady and upright person, if she just spoke up, perhaps she wouldn't have to bear any of the responsibility herself.

They have a number of people, forty or fifty in total, enough to spread the word throughout the martial arts world.

They had horses, fast horses. They could take them to wherever they deemed suitable in an instant. The two sect leaders were talking in front of the inn, while the horse owner in front of them continued to chatter... It was at this moment that a figure in white flashed past their eyes, and Lu Yuque's body plummeted into an ice cellar.

"I have a question." He was still wearing a mask, leaning against the lion statue in front of the door, raising the scabbard in his hand and pointing at Cheng Yun. "Have you seen a pretty woman, or a dirty, skinny beggar?"

Cheng Yun stood frozen in place, all the hair on his body standing on end.

He had no idea when this person arrived, nor when his body became immobile. Master Xu stood before him, his eyes shifting slightly, but he didn't even dare to turn his head.

"No," Cheng Yun replied.

The man in white raised his sword sheath, nudged Master Xu's waist, and made him turn around: "Why are you clenching your buttocks? Have you ever seen that before?"

"...Your Excellency, what do you mean by what it looks like?"

"I've only seen two portraits, which say there was such a person," the man in white said. "When did you see them?"

"...It shouldn't be the person you found. About an hour ago, it seems a beggar came here asking for lodging," Master Xu said stiffly.

The white robes fluttered gently, as if swept in by the wind.

Lu Yuque numbly pushed the horse owner's shoulder and naturally led him to the back of the stall: "Then I'll pawn half of one of your treasures."

The horse owner smiled contentedly and stepped back, saying, "Hey, I'm not trying to take advantage of you—"

Lu Yuque raised his hand and knocked him unconscious, then gently placed him behind the shed. He came out, untied a horse, and led it out naturally. After turning the corner, he suddenly mounted the horse and galloped off like a madman.

Her face was expressionless, but her body was trembling uncontrollably... She would never forget that nightmarish night.

Hua Shanglou couldn't possibly have killed my father.

The assassins from Huashanglou charged forward relentlessly, some killing Jiandu disciples, others being killed themselves. The moment Father arrived, he moved swiftly among them, reaping more than a dozen lives in just a few breaths, without shedding a single drop of blood.

The master of Huashanglou met his father, who was infamous in the martial arts world. The two families had a long-standing feud. He did hold out longer, only losing ground after four breaths. His father severed his left arm with a sword, and the next sword was about to pierce his throat.

"Why have you come here to die today—" he said indifferently.

In the instant his eyes could no longer see clearly, his father's right arm, carrying the sword, flew up.

The conversation ended halfway through.

For a moment, all seemed to fall silent. Lu Yuque wondered if he was seeing things, but it was impossible for the master of Huashang Tower to be holding that gleaming sword.

The white-clad figure landed on the martial arts field, and the long sword was slowly sheathed.

"...Who exactly are you people?" The pain of his severed arm seemed to have no effect. His body remained upright as he said indifferently, "You dare to launch a forceful attack on a registered sword sect of the Great Tang Dynasty."

He raised his left arm, and a disciple's blood-stained sword flew into his hand from the ground.

The man in white drew his sword again, and with a flash of brilliance, his father's left wrist, along with the sword, flew up once more.

The demonic figure in white raised his hand and lifted his mask, and for the first time, his father's expression of indignation changed—surprise, horror, bewilderment... Lu Yuque couldn't discern the change.

"Your Excellency, you—"

The man in white drew his sword again and sheathed it, and his father's head flew high into the air.

"Clear the place. It's dragging on like this," he said lazily.

Lu Yuque spurred his horse and galloped away, gritting his teeth.

Mount Lu, Mount Lu... How many miles are we still to Mount Lu?
She hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly, and she had no idea how he had found the inn.

She forced herself to reach Lushan before dark, but it seemed that darkness had already set in.

Lu Yuque didn't know how long it would take him to realize she wouldn't be going back, or whether he would ever know she had changed her appearance again. The first quarter of an hour was the most terrifying for her. After that time passed, she tried to calm herself down a bit, while whipping the galloping horse even harder.

They sped out of the city gate.

The fact that she didn't catch up immediately proves that she wasn't immediately exposed.

But the horse owner who fainted will be discovered sooner or later.

Within two or three quarters of an hour, his act of stealing the horse would be noticed.

Having sped along, and seen by countless eyes and ears, there was no turning back.

At this moment, she finally remembered that she was still 180 li away from Lushan Mountain, and in a daze, she realized that it seemed to be a dead end.

In any case, even if that person stayed at the inn for a drink and gave her half an hour, she couldn't possibly rush to Lushan.

But in his daze, he saw three riders galloping towards him.

The riders on horseback, one old and two young, all carried long swords and exuded extraordinary bearing.

Lu Yuque glanced at it subconsciously, then glanced again, and suddenly a chill ran down her spine. She blurted out, "Elder Hu! Senior Brother Li!!"

The three knights looked over at the same time, and the four riders suddenly reined in their horses, which then reared up and staggered around halfway.

“…Nephew Yu Que!” The old man’s eyes lit up.

The tall man reined in the horse and said happily, "We heard the bad news and were just about to come looking for you!"

Lu Yuque burst into tears almost instantly: "I...I was also about to go and join your sect, Father...Father..."

“We already know, there’s no need to say more,” Elder Hu said. “My dear nephew, you are carrying something important.”

"I...I took the family's martial arts manual..." Lu Yuque said hurriedly, "We must leave quickly! I almost ran into the murderer who killed my father at the inn. He...he is very powerful, and he may catch up with us soon."

Hu Daquan, with his cold face and hawk-like eyes, was actually half a generation higher than the sect leader in Lushan, and one of the two or three people with the highest cultivation in Lushan. At this moment, he frowned slightly, but did not act arrogantly. He looked down at the hoofprints for a while and said, "Alright—Zhu Quan, hoofprints can't hide anything. You take four empty horses and head east. After two quarters of an hour, abandon the horses and leave. The three of us will return to Lushan on our own. Also, put all the luggage on the horses to weigh them down."

"Yes!"

“Nephew Lu, your vital energy is exhausted. Let me carry you.”

Hu Daquan grabbed her forearm, and the two of them immediately took flight, heading back the way they came, at a speed far exceeding that of a galloping horse!
Lu Yuque only then felt his body weaken uncontrollably. Fortunately, this senior was there to support him, and tears streamed down his face.

She hadn't seen Elder Hu often, but she was familiar with her senior brother Li Li, who was the eldest disciple of the current generation of Lushan. They had met when they were young, and he had taken her on trips around Lushan like an older brother. As they grew up, they rarely saw each other and gradually drifted apart. But now, in her distress, she suddenly saw a familiar face, and she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion.

She wanted to say something, but for a moment she was speechless. After running like this for half an hour, Elder Hu suddenly raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice, "Zhu Quan sent a message saying that the man has seen through the fake horse and is coming towards us."

"...How is it?" Senior Brother Li Li turned his head.

"It's alright, let's make a move and head to the lake for a while."

　This is so hard to write! It's the absolute limit!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)