Chapter 751: Two Sleeves of Pure Wind

Lotus leaves stretch wide.

Azure waves shimmer and overlap, rippling out streaks of bright white light.

Long hair falls to her shoulders, spilling between her splayed fingers, curling into tiny loops.

The index finger loops around, pulling taut.

The ripples glow through her strands, hazy and faint.

Long Long Eying's hair is like a gentle, supple plant—her gaze, her thoughts, both like water, quietly nourishing it, slowly growing, dark, fine, and soft.

She grasps the strands and presses them to her ear.

He hears the sound of buds sprouting, smells the fresh, oily green scent.

After tracing the fine ends of her hair, Liang Qu grips her pale hand, inch by inch, joint by joint, as if a blind man used his fingertips to trace the raised text of poetry pricked into skin.

His fingers are soft, his nails hard, faint traces of blood powder spreading along the crescent moon of his nail bed.

Long Long Eying responds awkwardly in turn.

Fingertip rubs fingertip, palm meets palm, slender fingers coil like white snakes around the neck, entwined.

Strange.

Two months of accumulated restlessness had burned through his body like wildfire, yet with just one meeting, one glance, all his gloom and unease, all his mental exhaustion, vanished utterly—as if glowing red coals in a furnace had been plunged into clear spring water, hissing out a wisp of smoke that drifted and sank to the lakebed, joining the pebbles.

Liang Qu wanted to say something, but his lips stuck together; he uttered a silent, wordless thought.

Long Long Eying tilted her head.

At last, a sound emerged from Liang Qu's frozen throat.

"Why did it take so long?"

"Do I lack talent?"

"It's a breath control issue!"

"Yes, a breath control issue."

Liang Qu grinned, gripping her hair, gripping her pale hand—as if he could forever delight in playing with them—when suddenly he rolled over, plopped onto Long Long Eying's knees, and slid his hand up her calf to her instep.

The index finger slid sideways into the shoe, hooked under the heel lining, ready to slip off the silver-thread embroidered slipper.

Long Long Eying instinctively curled her toes, but after a pause, she let him proceed, allowing him to grasp her foot.

The instep was smooth and fair, faint blue veins tracing beneath the skin.

The little toe was round and perfect, like a Heshibi jade carved down from a high mountain, smoothed over centuries by slow, patient river currents, shedding its rocky rind to reveal soft, lustrous jade.

Gently pinched, the faint pink faded, turning even whiter.

"What kind of divine art did you plant?"

Long Long Eying bent slightly, swept her hand along the ground beside her foot—the water froze inch by inch, solidifying into a pair of crystal-clear blue ice shoes.

Cold spread outward.

Ice affinity?

Liang Qu was surprised, turning back to Long Eying.

"Your divine art seed is ice-based?"

"Yes, most of our clan cultivate ice affinity. I practice the Cold Frost Scripture, passed down from the old Dragon Lord."

"Why?" Liang Qu asked curiously.

"It's effective against snake clans—snakes fear cold. Sixty years ago, the Dragon People fought the snake clan; every member learned at least one such technique, and since then, we've trained diligently. I learned well and planted the divine art seed… Did the Elders regret it? It's not a particularly useful art for helping others."

"Regret? I'm delighted!"

Liang Qu buried his head, still holding her foot, stroking and pinching.

"Ice affinity can control and attack—what's wrong with that?"

"Can control and attack?"

"It's great anyway. I like it. I really like it."

Long silence.

A small fish darted up before them.

"Elder."

"Hmm?"

"I don't want to cultivate anymore."

"Don't cultivate, don't cultivate, hmm?" Liang Qu sat up, startled, "Why?"

"I'm so tired."

Long Long Eying reached out, cradling Liang Qu's back, resting her head against his chest, cheek brushing lightly.

Liang Qu's heart pounded hard, startling the fish away, his blood rushing elsewhere.

"Before you came, I was truly exhausted…"

At these words, the blood surged back.

Liang Qu straightened his expression, patted her head: "Don't cultivate, don't cultivate. One more won't matter, one less won't matter—what's the big deal? The Dragon People have me. If the sky falls, I'm taller than you! A giant! A mere jade dragon? I've got it in the palm of my hand!"

"Mm."

Liang Qu waved his hand, scattering the fish.

He thought for a moment.

"If you don't want to cultivate, what do you want to do?"

"Hmm… watch the moon, watch the stars, listen to the wind?"

The moon and stars?

A flash of inspiration.

"Come on, come on!" Liang Qu leapt up, pulling Long Long Eying from the stone steps.

Long Long Eying hastily slipped on her embroidered shoes.

"Where to?"

"Mount Taicang!"

…

"Why did they run off?"

Above, a white stream cut across the sky; the Grand Elder was deeply annoyed.

He had just been promoted—why didn't he first inform the Second Elder, Third Elder, and the other Clan Elders, share the good news? How could he just vanish?

"Children have their own fortune. Why do you meddle?" said the Second Elder.

"I'm not meddling—how is this meddling?"

The Grand Elder's face flushed, his anger stuck in his throat.

He had agreed to the Third Elder's absurd remarks—how was this meddling?

Is there no justice!

…

Evening.

The setting sun glowed orange-red.

A wisp of mist drifted above, twisting east and west, aimlessly searching for something.

"Elder, what are you looking for?"

"Mount Taicang—I remember it's in Jiangling County."

Liang Qu scratched his temple.

He'd once heard Ke Ko Wenbin and Xiang Fang Su mention it briefly: last summer, after collecting Tian Shui morning dew, they'd said Mount Taicang had a patch of night-blooming cereus garden, and planned to visit before the plum rains.

Though night-blooming cereus blooms briefly—hence the saying "a fleeting glimpse"—its flowering period is long, lasting from early summer to late autumn; even by late October, blooms remain, and sometimes, if autumn lingers, you can still see them in November.

He'd never been to Jiangling County before, so he didn't know where Mount Taicang was.

"If you can't find it, don't find it—just fly," Long Long Eying hugged Liang Qu's waist, quietly gazing at the orange-red sun on the horizon.

Liang Qu squeezed her small hand.

Neither spoke.

The sky darkened; the entire river shifted from glittering gold to dull, sinking darkness, black waves surging, occasionally flashing silver moonlight.

"Hey, found it!"

The white mist halted.

…

A garden of several mu.

A small pavilion stood still.

A copper hotpot bubbled, steam rising, chili peppers churning.

Dressed in brocade and fine robes, the host raised his cup: "Come, come! Tonight the autumn air is crisp—perfect for climbing the mountain to admire night-blooming cereus. The bloom will end soon; you won't see it again until next June. I've rented the entire peak today—no disturbances."

"When will it bloom?"

"Another half-hour, and the flowers will open!"

The others, faces flushed, laughed: "A fleeting glimpse is indeed thrilling, but it lasts only until midnight. After nightfall, Lord Jiang, any other plans?"

"Rest assured, my lords—the night-blooming cereus outside is beautiful, but the beauties inside my mansion are even lovelier! Uh…" The brocaded man fell silent, gazing dreamily upward; the others followed his gaze.

Beneath the bright moonlight, figures stepped down through the mist.

This…

Has an immortal descended to earth?

The well-dressed man's pupils dilated, instantly sobering up.

Descending from the heavens—certainly no good soul!

"May I ask who you are…?"

"Apologies for the intrusion," Liang Qu bowed, pulling out his official badge and scanning the group. "I am Liang Qu of Pingyang. Have any of you heard of me?"

Liang Qu!

The scene fell silent, save for the bubbling of boiling water.

A man's name, a tree's shadow!

The youngest Great Martial Master in Great Shun—who in all of Pingyang Prefecture doesn't know him, doesn't recognize him?

Why did he suddenly come from Pingyang Prefecture City to Jiangling County?

He glanced at Long Long Eying, then at the flowerbed behind him.

The well-dressed man suddenly understood, regardless of whether the identity was real or not: "So it is Master Liang before me! What a coincidence—last night, my friends and I gathered for a drink, came here to admire the flowers, and were just about to descend the mountain."

Descend the mountain?

The others in the pavilion froze, then quickly caught on, nodding vigorously.

"Yes, yes, we're just about to descend, just about to descend!"

"Mount Taicang is the crown jewel of Jiangling! Before it lies an eighteen-step waterfall, and Mount Taicang itself offers the finest view! Moreover, the former County Magistrate planted a night-blooming cereus garden—the blooming season isn't over yet. Master Liang, you've arrived at the perfect time!"

Long Long Eying found it amusing and quietly tugged at Liang Qu's sleeve.

Liang Qu waved his hand to brush it off.

This subtle gesture made the others in the group understand at once. Without saying more, they packed up their things, refused the silver notes Liang Qu offered, and descended the mountain directly—even sending someone to bring a fresh hot pot and chopsticks.

"Master Liang, what an imposing aura you carry," Long Long Eying's eyes flickered.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Liang Qu said solemnly. "I, Liang Mou, am upright and incorruptible. I did nothing just now—you heard it all. They descended because they'd already seen the flowers last night."

(End of Chapter)