Chapter 65: Plucking a Plum Blossom for Whom
“Stay tonight, okay?”
Ning Ruoque rode her sword in the direction of Azurefall Creek, but even after rushing, she didn’t see a single flying boat.
Only when she arrived at Azurefall Creek did she learn from the guards that Yin Buran had already returned to Suwen Peak.
Ning Ruoque was stunned for a moment.
This flying boat had probably been traveling at its fastest speed the whole time, burning high-grade spirit stones to get back.
The young girl in charge of guarding the mountain gate did not recognize her.
Ning Ruoque had no choice but to use a transmission talisman to contact Qingtong, and only then was she let into Azurefall Creek.
At the foot of Suwen Peak, Qingtong and Qieyu were sorting medicinal herbs.
The moment they saw the black-clad sword cultivator climb in through the window, they were so scared that they almost crushed the forget-me-not fruit.
Ning Ruoque’s stealth skills were truly impressive. If she hadn’t appeared on her own, Qingtong would not have been able to discover her at all.
Qingtong leaned close to Qieyu’s ear and whispered, “I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. How come her sect’s secret arts are stealth and disguise? Is she a proper sword cultivator?”
Ning Ruoque sighed helplessly.
“Miss Qingtong, I can hear you when you speak at that volume.”
Qingtong stuck out her tongue and pretended that nothing had happened.
She continued to lower her head and pick the medicine. “Are you looking for my Little Senior Sister?”
“Mm.”
After a few seconds of hesitation, Ning Ruoque asked softly, “Is Yin Buran’s injury very serious?”
In fact, she had already discovered earlier that Yin Buran had blood on her and her complexion was also very bad.
But the situation was complicated at that time. She had first recovered a part of her memory, and then she had tried to kill the nine-tailed fox and undergo a lightning tribulation, so she hadn’t had time to confirm Yin Buran’s injuries.
One had to know that even on the ancient battlefield, she would always pay attention to her teammates’ situation.
Ning Ruoque was a little annoyed at herself for this mistake that should not have existed.
Qieyu took over the conversation. “We’re not too sure either. We only know that Master was very angry, and Senior Medicine King still hasn’t been coaxed yet.”
Hearing this description, Ning Ruoque became even more worried about Yin Buran’s physical condition.
She was in a hurry to visit, and after thanking Qingtong and Qieyu, she directly jumped out of the window and left without looking back.
Qingtong had originally wanted to remind her of something, but she didn’t have time.
Seeing that black back disappear on the mountain path, Qingtong angrily broke a spirit grass.
“Forget it. Let the dull-witted sword cultivator hit a wall!”
*
Winter had already quietly arrived. Even Azurefall Creek was no longer as prosperous and vibrant as before.
Only Suwen Peak was still as warm as spring, and even the birds and small animals preferred to go there.
Yin Buran liked peace and quiet, and Suwen Peak had never had any sentries. However, before Ning Ruoque had even reached the foot of the mountain, she had discovered several hidden sentries from afar.
Strange, what are they guarding against?
Although she was puzzled, she didn’t pay much attention to it and continued to walk forward openly.
In a flash, an unusual wind brushed past the grass leaves and was caught by Ning Ruoque.
She reacted extremely quickly and took a step back. A dozen or so silver needles, as thin as hair, flew past her.
And they all sank into the trunk of a nearby tree, not even the ends of the needles could be seen!
Then a tall figure slowly walked out from the side. It was a familiar, dignified and serious face of Ning Ruoque’s.
Qin Jiangli raised her hand, and a silver light flashed at her fingertips. The silver needles were as powerful as a broken bamboo and forced Ning Ruoque back several steps.
Ning Ruoque was completely bewildered and had not yet figured out the reason for Qin Jiangli’s sudden attack.
Her hand was on the hilt of her sword, and she called out warily and unfamiliarity, “What is the meaning of this, Young Yu Lord?”
Qin Jiangli asked in return, “Do you know why my master is angry?”
Ning Ruoque frowned, and a few guesses vaguely appeared in her heart.
Seeing this, the corners of Qin Jiangli’s mouth twitched, but there was no smile in her eyes.
She stated calmly, “Three times. Every time my junior sister goes out with you, she comes back with injuries and illnesses.”
“According to the Medicine King’s words, ‘My well-behaved disciple, whom I have worked so hard to raise, is fooling around with a sword cultivator who fights and kills all day. No one can stand it. I want to grab the sword cultivator and teach her a lesson.'”
When Qin Jiangli relayed this sentence, she was straightforward and did not show any emotion.
But Ning Ruoque could just imagine the Medicine King’s expression and tone. If the Medicine King were standing in front of her, she would probably really make a move to teach her a lesson.
Ning Ruoque did not say a word and only heard Qin Jiangli speak coldly, “Forgive my bluntness. The Sword Venerable might be able to protect Ranran, but Ning Ruoque still can’t.”
After the other had finished speaking unceremoniously, she flicked her sleeve and drew a black mark on the ground, separating her from Ning Ruoque.
“Master has requested that Ranran recuperate. Apart from her and the Medicine King, no one is allowed to visit.”
“Please go back.”
Without giving Ning Ruoque a chance to ask, Qin Jiangli flew away.
And the hidden sentries not far away all gathered around, paying close attention to Ning Ruoque’s movements.
Only then did a certain sword cultivator understand that the person Azurefall Creek was guarding against was herself!
She silently returned the way she had come, her dense eyelashes drooping, her eyes dull and without light, looking a little dejected.
Only after she had left the range of Suwen Peak did Ning Ruoque find an empty place to sit down and gnaw on a steamed bun slowly.
She thought that what Qin Jiangli had said made sense, and she could also understand the reason for the other’s anger, so she did not feel wronged.
She was just worried about Yin Buran’s situation.
If she couldn’t see her, she would always be uneasy.
When she was still in the human world, Ning Ruoque would occasionally be like this, her heart hanging, unable to settle down.
The young lady of the Yin family was a picky eater and delicate. She had to eat the most tender part of the meat, and she had to have a small lamp on when she slept at night. When it was cold, she would throw her clothes to Ning Ruoque to wash.
But without Ning Ruoque by her side, she would silently hide all her little tempers.
Once, Ning Ruoque had been leading the army outside for a month. When she returned, Yin Buran had lost a lot of weight, her hands were frostbitten, and the tip of her nose was red from the cold.
Even so, Yin Buran would still hold a lamp and stand in the wind and snow to welcome her.
That winter, before Ning Ruoque left, she had slipped out to hunt a deer. The deer skin was made into gloves and small leather boots and given to Yin Buran.
Yin Buran had thanked her, and then asked in her letter, when she would be home.
Home.
In the dead of winter, the wind and frost were not worth mentioning.
Ning Ruoque couldn’t help but stroke the thin piece of paper over and over again, as if she were holding a flower from a paradise, unable to describe the feeling.
She just felt that her heart was very full, so full that she was a little impatient and wanted to see her immediately.
When her thoughts returned, it was already approaching dusk, and the sky was gloomy.
After Ning Ruoque had finished reminiscing, she was already holding a steamed bun in her mouth and had silently circled to the back of Suwen Peak.
There were also hidden sentries here, but because the mountain was steep and almost reached the clouds, Qin Jiangli had not left many people.
Ning Ruoque passed through the forest, as light as a sparrow.
The female guard noticed something and turned her head warily. “Someone’s here!”
But behind her was only a fat mountain sparrow, hopping on a branch.
The leaves swayed slightly, and apart from that, there was nothing else unusual.
Her companion sneered, “There’s no one. It’s just a mountain sparrow.”
The woman scratched her head, her face full of confusion. “Strange. I clearly saw a figure flash by.”
“You must have been seeing things.”
On a treetop not far away, Ning Ruoque held her breath and focused. The thin branch under her feet was not even bent.
A round mountain sparrow was dozing on a branch, completely unaware that there was someone beside it.
When she landed, she had even subconsciously picked a mushroom that was growing well, but was a little poisonous, and stuffed it into her storage bag.
Then she stepped on the steep rock wall and leaped up as if she were walking on flat ground.
Ning Ruoque thought to herself that Qin Jiangli’s moral evaluation of her was still a little too high.
The familiar small courtyard was close at hand. Ning Ruoque did not go in immediately, but first turned to the kitchen.
Half an hour later, she finally climbed over the courtyard wall in a hurry.
The crabapple tree swayed with the wind, and there was light in the room. It seemed that the person inside was not yet asleep.
Ning Ruoque stood in front of the door for a full quarter of an hour against the night wind, having thought about what she wanted to say, before she knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Having received a response, she carefully pushed open the door and slipped in at an extremely fast speed, like a thief.
Turning past the screen, she saw Yin Buran leaning against a pillow.
Her white hair was like snow, and her eyes were like autumn water. She was lazily nestled in the soft pillows and cotton quilts, like a half-open, half-asleep lotus flower.
Perhaps with a little force, it would break.
She put down the storybook in her hand, her tone a little dissatisfied. “Why are you so late?”
Ning Ruoque’s heart beat a little too fast for a moment.
But she quickly lowered her head, hid her emotions, and explained dryly, “You need to recuperate. I can’t visit.”
Yin Buran tilted her head and looked at the sword cultivator standing in front of her, who was like a block of wood.
“Oh? Then what are you doing—”
Ning Ruoque was quiet for a moment, then took out a food box as if nothing had happened.
“I brought you some persimmon cakes.”
She felt that climbing over the wall was not very moral, and disturbing a patient’s rest was also very bad. But she wanted to bring Yin Buran persimmon cakes, so she came.
The food box was opened, and inside were golden, sugar-frosted persimmon cakes.
If it weren’t for the fear of making too much noise and being discovered by Qin Jiangli, Ning Ruoque would have at least set up a small clay stove.
Perhaps because the meaning of compensation was too obvious, she felt a little apprehensive in her heart and turned her head to look at the crabapple blossoms outside the window.
Her ears, on the other hand, were pricked up, listening to the movements on Yin Buran’s side.
Yin Buran’s expression was blank. “You seem to have forgotten. After you and I were reunited, you sent me persimmon cakes for a whole winter.”
She would send them every three days, and she couldn’t even finish them. Ning Ruoque herself didn’t even come, and when asked, she would say that she was outside killing monsters.
But if she wrote back saying that the persimmon cakes were too sweet, this person would actually find time to improve the taste of the persimmon cakes.
Now that she thought about it, it could still make Yin Buran laugh out of anger.
Ning Ruoque: “…”
So there was such a thing?
Ning Ruoque awkwardly tugged at the hem of her clothes. “Then are you still going to eat them?”
As soon as her voice fell, she heard the sound of small bites.
Then her voice paused for a while, and Yin Buran lowered her eyes and said in a muffled voice, “It’s not very sweet. It’s just right for me.”
It was the taste that had been improved by Ning Ruoque in her memory.
After hearing this, Ning Ruoque let out a sigh of relief and stood up stiffly to say goodbye. “Then I’ll be leaving.”
Although she wanted to watch Yin Buran eat the persimmon cakes, she was afraid that if she didn’t leave soon, she would be caught by Qin Jiangli and then guarded even more strictly.
Yin Buran stared at her without blinking. “Where are you going?”
“To cultivate. You should rest well.”
Just as Ning Ruoque was about to climb out of the window, she heard Yin Buran’s voice from behind her. “You used to hold me for a long time before you left.”
A certain sword cultivator was stunned, her left foot tripped over her right, and she almost fell flat on the ground.
She turned around in disbelief. “…Was I… like that before?”
Yin Buran’s expression did not change. “Mm.”
Ning Ruoque let out a soft hiss.
She felt that this was not her style at all, and it was more like Yin Buran was fooling her.
But she had indeed lost a large part of her memory. What if something had happened in between? Or was it that her nature was like this?
Thinking that she actually had such a side, Ning Ruoque covered her face at a loss, and her peripheral vision inadvertently swept over Yin Buran’s eyes.
That person had buried herself in the quilt, and only a pair of eyes were looking at her, extremely focused.
Perhaps if she reached out her hand, she would raise her head very cutely.
In the gap of hesitation, Yin Buran spoke softly, “Come and hold me.”
It was clearly a command, but she said it so wronged, like acting cute. If she couldn’t hold her, she wouldn’t be able to sleep all night, and then she would curl up her thin self into a ball.
Just like back then, when she asked Ning Ruoque when she would be home.
Ning Ruoque’s throat bobbed, and she couldn’t say no.
She returned to Yin Buran in a few steps and awkwardly held her in her arms.
At first, her movements were a little stiff, but listening to the breathing of the person in her arms, she also gradually learned to stroke Yin Buran’s head.
Her hair was like silk, smooth and delicate, and it felt exceptionally good.
Yin Buran responded by rubbing against her, and squinted her eyes to make a request, “Come down a little.”
So Ning Ruoque obediently leaned over, and then she was caught off guard by the latter, who grabbed her collar and bit her on the neck.
A wet and slightly painful sensation came, and her body went numb.
She actually lost her balance and was easily brought down by the other into the soft bed.
Seeing that she was about to press on Yin Buran, Ning Ruoque hurriedly propped herself up, her hand still covering the place that had been bitten.
It was hot.
It was unknown if her palm was hot, or if the heat on her face had spread to her neck.
She subconsciously wanted to run away.
But Yin Buran looked up and stared at her eagerly. “Stay tonight, okay?”
