Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 418 Plum Blossoms on Snow, Flowers on White Snow

whoosh—

The snow intensified, the wind whistled in our ears, and the horses galloped across the snowfield, their breaths lingering in the air, quickly buried by the falling snow along with their hoofprints.

Zhao Wumian was dressed in white, his sword at his waist, and his pure white snow-proof cloak stretched taut in the wind, fluttering behind him.

A few days ago, in preparation for her trip to the border region, she traveled light, and Chaoyan's fox fur coat was left with her aunt for safekeeping, so as not to get it dirty or torn.

Zhao Wumian did not know Mo Jingxue's exact location, only that he was nearby according to intelligence.

But he didn't look back, and rode off in one direction with practiced ease, without any confusion or hesitation. He was like a sword drawn from its sheath, and if an ordinary person saw him from afar, they would be stunned by his aura.

This wasn't his first time in Yanyun; when Jiu'er was still alive, the two of them often came to this vast snowy plain.

Sometimes, people come here just to have a drink.

Sometimes, it was to visit the Princess Consort of Yan.

Sometimes, it's for the purpose of killing... killing someone who has tried many times to kill Jiu'er, but all attempts have ended in failure.

Zhao Wumian remembered that there was a restaurant nearby where the wine was very good, making him so intoxicated by it that he always carried a flask around his waist to satisfy his cravings.

He and Jiu'er always came in the spring, because if they only came to buy wine in the winter, they feared they wouldn't be able to return to Lin'an before the end of the year.

Therefore, he remembered very clearly the vermilion railings, the pale blue wine curtains, the red flowers on all sides, and the emerald green floating in the air of the tavern.

Ten years have passed since Zhao Wumian last visited this restaurant. Things have changed, but he still remembers the way.

Soon, a house standing tall in the wind and snow came into his view.

The red flowers all around have been covered by white snow, and the lush greenery in the sky has turned into a blanket of snow. But the vermilion railings remain unchanged, and the pale blue wine curtains still flutter in the wind, only now they bear the marks of time.

He still remembered that Jiu'er was dressed in white, carrying wine in her hand, leaning against the railing, laughing and telling him about the interesting stories she had encountered in the martial arts world in Yanyun.

Everything was exactly the same as Zhao Wumian remembered, except that he was the only one who had come here alone.

Not coming to drink is tantamount to murder.

He knew that with Mo Jingxue's drunken nature, he would surely find out which wine was the best within a hundred miles in just a few days.

In front of the restaurant, there were faint footprints, though buried by snow, the traces were still discernible.

Logically speaking, even on a snowy day, this tavern would still be a place where travelers from the martial arts world would stop by, drink, and warm themselves up.

But at this moment it was unusually quiet, completely unlike the lively and bustling scene Zhao Wumian remembered, with only the wine banners fluttering in the wind and snow.

Zhao Wumian thought to himself that he had indeed come to the right place.

He remained expressionless, dismounted, patted the horse's rump lightly, and sent it galloping away to hide before stepping onto the wooden steps in front of the door.

Crunch, crunch——

The excessively old wood, under pressure, immediately let out a sharp cry, enough to stir the soul of everyone in the quiet environment.

But Zhao Wumian didn't care. As he got closer, he realized that someone was waiting for him at the restaurant.

That person is upright and has nothing to hide, so why should he conceal himself?

Zhao Wumian raised his hand and pulled on the belt of his cloak, revealing a snow-white robe underneath. He then lifted the wine curtain and bowed as he entered the room.

call out!
A jug of wine flew through the air and shot towards him.

Zhao Wumian caught it steadily, his expression calm. He glanced to the side and saw Mo Jingxue sitting at the table, with several empty wine jars already placed beside her. There were also several small dishes on the table, most of which had already been eaten.

His eyes were slightly glazed. When he saw Zhao Wumian, a slight smile appeared on his face, and he said softly:
"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Some江湖酒客 (jianghu jiuke, a term referring to people who drink and drink in the martial arts world) were hiding in a corner, trembling with fear. They dared not run away or make a sound, unaware of what conflict they had just had with Mo Jingxue.

At the square table and chairs, three people sat motionless, heads bowed, like dolls.

Upon closer inspection, the flowing blood had already soaked their chests and lapels, forming a pool of blood on the bench.

Their throats had already been pierced.

A brazier sat on the floor of the hall, sparks flying and crackling.

"So eager to kill?"

Zhao Wumian, carrying the Qingxu Sword, sat down opposite Mo Jingxue.

He had been searching for Mo Jingxue for a long time, but upon meeting her now, he did not rush to make a move.

"If the Emperor had not wanted to take the blame for his lack of virtue after Marquis Weiming killed Luo Shu, then you would be a traitor who assassinated the King and killed the Emperor now."

Mo Jingxue sighed helplessly and said:
"If that's the case, then when you go to the martial world, you'll end up like me, where even having a peaceful drink will be a luxury. Wherever you go, someone will want your head."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mo Jingxue pushed a wine bowl towards Zhao Wumian and said with a smile:
"In this kind of weather, having some wine to warm up won't do anyone any harm."

"I won't drink the wine you offered."

Mo Jingxue glanced at him sideways, her tone tinged with a hint of doubt.
"Does Your Excellency believe that I am a member of the Demonic Sect, and that drinking with me would tarnish your reputation?"

Zhao Wumian said, "Back in Penglai in the East Sea, we said that after we died, the one who was alive would treat me to a cup of wine... Now that you're treating me, aren't you tacitly agreeing to let me die at your hands?"

Mo Jingxue was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter, "The Marquis is truly a remarkable person."

Zhao Wumian took out the nameplate of Marquis Weiming from his waist, tapped it lightly on the table, and glanced at the trembling martial arts practitioners around him.

"Lord Weiming has come to arrest the Pavilion Master of Huanzhen Pavilion and cleanse the martial world... All idlers, please disperse."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding wanderers and the innkeeper felt as if they had been granted a pardon. Their legs moved like windmills as they rushed out of the tavern, and their footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

Zhao Wumian got up and took another pot of wine from behind the counter before taking a sip.

Ten years have passed in the secret passage. Times have changed, and many things in the martial arts world have changed, but the taste of this wine remains the same.

Mo Jingxue's laughter subsided, and she said with interest, "I heard that the Marquis killed the vanguard general of the Rong people amidst ten thousand troops. How exhilarating!"

"Didn't you also kill a Goguryeo general? I've heard that you once received favors from the Prince of Yan."

"Not bad. When I was a child, I was in the Northeast, where it was freezing cold and I had nowhere to go. I happened to meet the Prince of Yan, who gave me clothes and hot food, which saved my life."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly, saying nothing more, but looked towards the small courtyard behind the hall and smiled:

“The Prince of Yan is stationed at the border and it is his duty to suppress the Rong people. I cannot fail my father-in-law in any way, otherwise I will have no right to come and propose marriage… Come out.”

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps echoed from the courtyard behind him.

Mo Jingxue frowned slightly. The person behind him was truly skilled at concealment; he hadn't noticed him at first.

Whether you notice it or not, it makes no difference.

He has survived in the martial arts world for so long not only because of his superb martial arts skills... Ever since his master Zhuang Banxian secretly attacked him, trying to steal his power to replenish himself, his wariness has never subsided.

It will not be caught off guard by a surprise attack.

It's unclear whether Zhao Wumian was able to sense something amiss, whether it was due to keen perception or simply deception.

He shook his head slightly and continued drinking.

A one-armed boy, with one arm tied up with his sleeve and wearing a felt hat, walked calmly from the backyard and gave Zhao Wumian a slight smile.

"The sword of Marquis Weiming is indeed worthy of its reputation."

Zhao Wumian held the wine bowl, his expression slightly surprised.
"I thought you would wait until Mo Jingxue and I had settled our score before showing up to reap the benefits."

"Since Marquis Weiming knows I am here, wouldn't it be the act of a petty person if I continued to hide it?"

"Aren't you one?" Zhao Wumian retorted.

Shaman looked at him with suspicion, then heard Zhao Wumian sneer.
"Your injuries haven't fully healed yet, have they?"

Shaman Tian raised his empty sleeve. "Just an arm..."

"I'm referring to the incident where Xiao Jiu'er killed you back then."

Shaman Tian was taken aback.

Mo Jingxue looked at the two of them and found it interesting. She hadn't expected that Zhao Wumian actually had a grudge against Sha Mantian.

Back then, Zhao Wumian was still young, and Jiu'er went out to kill Samantian without taking him along, so Samantian had never seen Zhao Wumian before.

He recalled for a moment before smiling again. “My injury is nothing serious, but as far as I know, Xiao Jiu’er was already poisoned back then, and her injuries after fighting me were not light. Once she can’t suppress the poison, she will definitely suffer a lot.”

Zhao Wumian's eyes turned slightly cold... Shamantian was right.

Jiu'er suffered a lot and endured a lot of pain.

Zhao Wumian often regrets... regrets why he couldn't regain his memories in Penglai, East Sea.

This way, Shaman Tian won't be allowed to live for those extra few months.

With one hand behind his back, Shamantian scanned the lobby and realized that apart from the three of them, no one else in the restaurant had the power to interfere.

Without interference, there will be no disturbance. This battle will surely determine life and death.

Only then did he glance at Mo Jingxue, who was drinking alone, his tone cold.

"Is the Sheath of Seclusion still with you?"

Mo Jingxue chuckled lightly, not at all intimidated by Shamantian, "Why don't you kill me and find out?"

“However…” Mo Jingxue’s tone shifted, shaking the wine bowl and gazing at the glistening liquid inside, her voice slightly displeased.

"If the shaman had stayed obediently in the backyard and let me and the Marquis decide our fates first before you made your move, I imagine there would still have been a result..."

But now the three of us are all top-tier figures in the martial arts world. In this chaotic battle where there is no clear friend or foe, we might be able to determine a winner, but it's unlikely to be a matter of life or death.

Although Shamantian was very confident in his martial arts skills, he had to admit that what Mo Jingxue said was true.

With their martial arts skills at that level, in a one-on-one duel, if one side insists on escaping, it's basically impossible to determine life or death.

After all, someone who has survived in the underworld for so long must be quite skilled at escaping.

Even if it were the Emperor Wuxiang, if he wanted to escape, even if he would die in the end, he could at least hold Zhao Wumian back for a few hours.

But even at the critical moment of life and death, he still believed in his sword and insisted on competing with Zhao Wumian in speed, which led to his death by having his throat pierced by a sword.

However, this can be considered the fate of a warrior. If one does not even believe in one's own sword, then even if one manages to escape alive in the end, one's spirit will be completely shattered.

A martial artist without spirit is nothing... It can only be said that the King of No Form is indeed a pure martial artist.

This is true even in one-on-one combat; now, with the addition of another expert of the same level, the variables in the battle increase exponentially.

Unless... Zhao Wumian and Mo Jingxue, as people from the Central Plains, decide to join forces to deal with the Rong people, Shamantian.

Although Shamantian knew that with Zhao Wumian and Mo Jingxue's arrogance, they probably wouldn't join forces so easily, he had just been beaten by Mo Jingxue and Guiyi Laodao in the East Sea, so he couldn't help but be more wary.

Snapped--

Just then, a soft clattering sound came from beside him as a wine bowl was placed on the table.

But Zhao Wumian raised his head, drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, put down the bowl, and said:
"Whether you continue to hide in the backyard and watch from the sidelines, or show yourself now and fight me... it doesn't matter, it's just a matter of whether you die sooner or later."

Upon hearing this, Mo Jingxue and Samantian were both taken aback, looking at Zhao Wumian with slight surprise.

But then he saw him caressing the hilt of the Qingxu sword in his palm, the sword extended three inches, his head bowed as he gazed at the gleaming blade, not even looking at the two of them, and simply said softly:
"You can all come at me at once. I am here today not to escape the world, nor for the sake of national righteousness, nor to cleanse the martial world, but only to do one thing."

"Those that Jiu'er can't kill, I will!"

Clang!

As soon as the word 'kill' was uttered, Zhao Wumian's sword suddenly thrust out.

Pierce the shaman's throat!

A cold glint suddenly appeared in the tavern, and the brazier was abruptly swayed backward by the strong wind before going out in the blink of an eye.

whoosh—

Outside the tavern, a sudden gust of wind and snow swept by, abruptly lifting the green curtain in front of the tavern, pulling it taut, making it flutter loudly.

As the heavy snow fell, the maids in the backyard of the Prince of Yan's mansion inside Yagu Pass were busy sweeping snow, cooking, and tending to the flowers and plants, keeping the mansion in perfect order.

Despite their large numbers, they still felt a sense of loneliness.

Xiao Lengyue, holding an oil-paper umbrella, wearing a light blue long dress and a pure white cloak, stood gracefully in front of the plum blossom tree in the snow.

When a maid carrying a broom passed by, everyone held their breath and lowered their pace.

They all knew that this woman was a member of the Weiming Marquis's family, but they didn't know what her relationship with the Marquis was.

But Xiao Lengyue stood in front of the plum blossom tree, making the plum blossoms and the white snow lose their color.

So young, so beautiful, so elegant—just standing here, she would often leave some maids speechless and mesmerized.

But ever since Marquis Weiming left, she often stood under the plum tree, sometimes for several hours at a time, and no one knew what she was doing.

A maidservant mustered her courage and stepped forward, whispering, "Madam, you've been standing here for two hours now. Why don't you go back inside and warm up? Otherwise, if you catch a cold, the Marquis will be furious..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lengyue snapped out of her reverie and shook her head slightly, "I will not contract the disease."

"Then you are..."

"When I have nothing to do, I just count the snow on the plum blossoms and the plum blossoms on the snow," Xiao Lengyue said softly.

Zhao Wumian was born to be busy, and he was always on the move since he was a child. He was always running around in the martial arts world. After Xiao Yuanmu's martial arts skills improved, he was also often away from home. Xiao Lengyue thought that she had long been used to being alone.

Of course she got used to it. When she was twenty, her mother died, and her father and Jiu'er were nowhere to be found.

She single-handedly developed the Tai Xuan Palace while being hunted down by Emperor Taizu Gao.

She never felt lonely, nor was she a sentimental person.

But at this very moment, she was so lonely that she began to count the plum blossoms.

Xiao Lengyue had no idea what was wrong with her.

Back then, I roamed the martial world alone, established my own sect, and wasn't lonely.

With Jiu'er missing, Zhao Wumian traveling the world, and Xiao Yuanmu succeeding as the Palace Master of Tai Xuan Palace to take charge of the overall situation, she stayed alone at Tinglan Manor, but she was not lonely.

Now, however, I feel a sudden sense of loneliness.

Suddenly, some snow was shaken off the plum blossoms, and Xiao Lengyue subconsciously reached out to catch it.

Gazing at the snowflakes in her palm, she stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly raised her head and looked towards the thick city walls inside the pass.

That's the direction outside the pass.

Tap tap tap——————

With Xiao Lengyue's five senses, amidst the bustling sounds of war preparations within the city, she could faintly hear the faint sounds of thousands of troops and dark clouds pressing down on the city from outside the pass.

Her expression changed slightly. Holding an oil-paper umbrella, she leaped into the air, her embroidered shoes lightly touching the eaves, and in the blink of an eye, she was on the city wall.

But the wall was densely packed with soldiers, yet there was an eerie silence. Each of them stood on high ground, gazing into the distance.

Outside the city walls, the sky was entirely white, a silver-clad world, like a white carpet spread across the heavens and earth.

But at the end of the white carpet, there appeared a black line that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Tap tap tap————

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, kicking up white snow and spreading white mist, like an avalanche or a pure white rolling dragon pressing towards Yagu Pass.

A moment of deathly silence fell over the city wall, then suddenly countless shouts erupted, accompanied by the sounds of war drums and gongs.

"Enemy attack—"

The Rong people and Goguryeo's attack on the pass this time was a case of "the arrow is on the bowstring and cannot be released."

After the initial commotion, the situation was finally brought under control, and troops were dispatched immediately without further delay.

The Frost's Descent has long since passed.

Heavy snow fell today, signaling the approach of harsh winter.

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As usual, the next chapter will be completely finished to avoid leaving readers wanting more.

(End of this chapter)