Chapter 522: Meeting

Lu Wushuang followed the humming sound, stepped slowly up the stairs, climbed over the ruins, and looked up from a high vantage point, seeing Li Miao from afar.

Because she heard the faint melancholy in Li Miao’s singing, she did not make a sound to approach, but sat down cross-legged, watching over Li Miao from a distance.

The moonlight spilled down; Li Miao leaned against the ruins, holding a half-full wine pot, swaying slightly, his eyes half-closed, his fingers tapping slowly on his knees.

The wine cup opposite him was empty, and the wooden mallet lay scattered beside the wooden fish, swaying gently with the breeze, rippling in the pool of blood, as if the departed old monk were echoing his friend’s tune.

The moonlight was like snow, condensing into a layer of bright frost on the blood.

Lu Wushuang watched Li Miao from afar, lost in thought.

She didn't know what had happened tonight, but she had some speculations. Seeing Li Miao after the great battle, his clothes torn, revealing his bulging, solid arms and chest, his body still stained with blood, yet sitting alone in the ruins drinking to the moon, humming an off-key tune to an empty wine cup, she wanted to go forward but didn't dare to approach.

After a long while, she sighed.

"Too weak."

"I am too weak, unable to keep up with his pace, not even qualified to watch the battle. I don't know who his enemy is, nor do I know what I can do or say..."

"Brother An has already mastered the Heaven and Man realm, while I am still complacent about reaching the peak... I, Lu Wushuang, will never act as a hanger-on!"

Swish!

Lu Wushuang flicked her sleeves and shook out her soft sword, raised her hand to let down her long hair, and with a flash of cold light, most of her hair fell to the ground. She put away the short sword and tied up her broken hair while watching Li Miao.

"Heaven and Man! Before I leave the East, I must master the Heaven and Man realm! Next time, I will never be the weakling excluded from his battle!"

Lu Wushuang gritted her teeth and said in a low voice.

She had originally cut her hair to show her determination, not to prove anything with this vow, nor did she want to mention these thoughts to others. But before her voice fell, a voice filled with laughter suddenly came from behind her.

"You want to master the Heaven and Man realm?"

"You don't have to wait until you leave the East; you can do it now."

The voice was pleasant and melodious, extremely close, as if it were right in Lu Wushuang’s ear. The breath from the speaking sprayed against her ear, making her shudder in horror!

Who! When did they arrive!

To have approached to this distance without her noticing meant that her life was already in the other person’s hands!

"Who—"

Lu Wushuang just wanted to shout angrily, her hands raised to stab the soft sword behind her. But before she could make a move, a hand tapped lightly on the vital point on her back, freezing her movements.

"Don't shout, don't shout."

"Don't disturb Lord Li."

The person behind her laughed, walked to Lu Wushuang’s side, and also looked down at Li Miao from afar, the laughter in her words growing more pronounced.

"Two years without seeing him, Lord Li’s style remains the same, which truly makes me happy. But since he is currently mourning an old friend, I will go and disturb him later."

She turned to look at Lu Wushuang.

"Miss Lu, right?"

"You should know me. I have no malice toward Lord Li, so don't speak loudly, don't disturb Lord Li... I am not kind to anyone other than Lord Li, you know that, right?"

Lu Wushuang’s pupils trembled violently.

The moonlight spilled down, flowing over the triple-layered plain robe worn by the person opposite her. The outermost white garment was finely woven from Echizen silk, and the wide sleeves hung down like fresh snow covering steps. The dark purple hakama hung down to the clogs, and the plain ties of the straw sandals were exposed at the ankles—this was the official priestly attire of the Ise Grand Shrine.

And if the attire of the highest-ranking priest of the Ise Grand Shrine brought horror to Lu Wushuang, the stunningly beautiful face smiling under the pitch-black crown made Lu Wushuang almost unable to suppress the shock and fear in her heart.

"Ji... Ji..."