Chapter 52: Green Hills Like Soaked Snow

Like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, the enemy forces brandished their scimitars and lunged forward once more. The woman in blue remained utterly calm and poised, completely devoid of fear! She raised her spear to meet them, her sweeping motions as torrential and overwhelming as a reversed river surge.

"Xue Ruqin!" the silk-clad woman shouted through gritted teeth, her voice laced with fury!

She had been wounded by that long spear moments ago, and blood leaking from her shoulder had already stained her sleeve and dyed her fair hand crimson. She shoved aside the person who rushed forward to support her, twirled her scimitar once more to unleash a chilling silver arc, and met the spear head-on.

The spear's momentum was fierce and unstoppable, while the scimitar was as coiling and deceptive as a coiled serpent. The blue-clad woman fought off the numerous swordsmen single-handedly; though her spear technique was tyrannical and valiant, she found it difficult to break away immediately.

Yan Kuang gazed at the woman in blue with an extraordinarily complex expression. Seeing the strangeness in his demeanor, Cheng Ruyi could not help but ask with curiosity, "You... know her?"

"It seems... she is my junior sister."

"Ah...—?!"

Before his voice had even faded, the blue-clad woman abruptly switched to wielding the spear with a single hand. As her other palm spun and her wrist flicked, flying needles erupted from her sleeves like a torrential rainstorm, instantly detonating into a dense cloud of white smoke!

"Quickly, follow me!"

Obstructed by the smoke, the enemies lost sight of them. Seizing the opportunity to break free, the blue-clad woman beckoned to the two of them. Hearing her call, Yan Kuang scooped Cheng Ruyi up horizontally in his arms and bolted after her without hesitation.

From time to time, hidden darts and flying knives continued to whistle toward them from behind. The blue-clad woman spun around with her spear, deflecting them one by one and sending them back.

Terrified of pressing against the wound on Yan Kuang's chest, Cheng Ruyi turned his head slightly and saw towering mountain ranges flashing past on either side, feeling as though he were trapped in an illusion or a dream.

"This way!"

The blue-clad woman led them around the bizarre stretch of forest they had just traversed, heading straight up the mountain. Taking only narrow and secluded paths, she shook off the group of pursuers before long.

After passing through another dense forest and leaping across a winding, clear stream, a simple wooden hut came into view.

"We've arrived. Hurry inside."

The blue-clad woman pushed open the wooden door. The interior of the cabin was neat and austere, furnished only with a bed, a table, and a few chairs, while a bronze basin on the stand was filled to the brim with clean water.

Yan Kuang came to a halt, only to realize that the person in his arms had already fallen fast asleep. He hurried inside, gently laid Cheng Ruyi down on the couch, and patted his cheeks with his palm while calling out to him in a low, persistent voice.

At the same time, the blue-clad woman behind him also uttered a soft call.

Yan Kuang's ears twitched slightly. With a frozen expression, he turned around just in time to meet a pair of eyes brimming with both excitement and overwhelming sorrow.

"Here, take this blood-stanching pill."

Averting her gaze, the blue-clad woman laid her spear aside, reached under the bed to fish out a porcelain bottle, and placed it within Yan Kuang's reach. Without a moment's hesitation, Yan Kuang extracted a single pill, pried Cheng Ruyi's teeth apart, and forced it into his mouth.

"Ugh...!"

Cheng Ruyi, who had been in a hazy stupor, was choked back into sharp wakefulness. Fortunately, Yan Kuang promptly brought over a cup of tea and poured it down his throat, saving him from passing out from the choking once more.

Cheng Ruyi raised his head in a daze, only to find Yan Kuang and the blue-clad woman standing in a wordless stalemate. When he finally steadied his gaze and took in the woman's appearance, he could not help but start.

It was not that he recognized this woman; it was simply that...

The women he had encountered throughout his life were hardly numerous. Yet whether it was his impression of his mother, the young lady of the Yuan family, the daughter of the Du family, or Lin Jiangyue, all of them could be considered precious pearls and beauties bestowed by the heavens and condensed from the finest essences of the world.

Yet the woman before him—dressed in blue with her hair swept into a high bun, her pupils like bright pearls and her hair like the night sky—possessed a serene and moonlit elegance akin to a quiet night, yet carried the majesty of a rolling sea of clouds. Earlier, when she wielded her spear in battle, she was like a divine dragon emerging from the sea; yet now, she appeared so tranquil and dignified that she seemed like an entirely different person.

In a sudden trance, a few unpolished verses slipped uncontrollably into Cheng Ruyi's mind:

*Blue sleeves unroll a verdant light,*
*Cold dew drips on the spear tip bright.*
*Frost and snow from fairy realms born,*
*Jade dust graces the cloudy mirror's form.*

Cheng Ruyi wanted nothing more than to slap himself. A scholar! How could he stare so intently at a young woman?! And have such random, wandering thoughts running through his head...

He could also tell that the eyes of the two people before him were brimming with a thousand unvoiced words, neither knowing how to break the silence.

Yan Kuang handed the porcelain bottle back to the blue-clad woman, gazing at the breathtaking beauty before him as though she were both familiar and unfamiliar.

Ultimately, it was Yan Kuang who spoke first: "Third Junior Sister... Zhanying."

His tone was hesitant, yet his expression was firm. He was certain that the person before him was the martial sibling he had not seen in a decade, yet he did not know what identity to assume when facing her.

With tears glistening in her eyes, a bitter smile tugged at the corners of the blue-clad woman's lips as she gave a slight nod.

She laughed self-deprecatingly, "Even I haven't heard that name spoken aloud in a very long time. Zhanying, Liang Zhanying... Hearing it now truly feels like a lifetime away."

*This name suits her well,* Cheng Ruyi thought to himself. *It sounds bold and heroic, yet carries an unknown sense of restraint and heavy responsibility. By comparison, Lin Jiangyue's name sounds much freer.*

Liang Zhanying raised her hand and pushed the porcelain bottle back toward Yan Kuang, asking, "And what about you?"

Only then did Yan Kuang remember that a hidden weapon was still embedded in his chest. He swallowed a medicinal pill, reached up to pull out the hidden weapon, and tossed it aside.

"Master Yan... do you treat yourself like a slab of dead pork?"

Watching from the side with lingering fear, Cheng Ruyi hurriedly reached out to press against his wound while raising his head to say to Liang Zhanying, "Thank you, Heroine... for your rescue."

Yan Kuang gently patted the back of Cheng Ruyi's hand to signal that he was fine, then said to Liang Zhanying, "Junior Sister, my friend is injured and needs treatment. Please step outside for a moment."

Only then did Cheng Ruyi remember that he was injured himself. He thought to himself that the pills provided by this "new junior sister" were truly miraculous; not only did they staunch the bleeding, but they also numbed the pain, sparing him a great deal of suffering.

As Yan Kuang familiarly prepared to strip off Cheng Ruyi's garments to apply the medicine, Liang Zhanying looked nonchalant and said indifferently, "Do you think I care about such things? Do I really need to step outside?"

With that, her peerless face leaned forward proactively. Both Yan Kuang and Cheng Ruyi felt their breath catch instantly, and they unconsciously leaned backward in unison.

Though Liang Zhanying furrowed her delicate brows slightly, she still said gently, "If you chase me out, do you even know where the medicine is?"

Cheng Ruyi hurriedly lowered his gaze and clutched his clothes tightly, while Yan Kuang added with inevitable awkwardness, "Just tell us where it is. Men and women should maintain a proper boundary..."

"I grew up in a military camp with my father since I was a child. Besides, back in the day, which of you three little brutes hasn't had me apply medicine to your wounds?" Liang Zhanying sighed helplessly, her voice softening, "You really are, Han..."

At this point, Liang Zhanying paused before continuing, "I heard you changed your name. Should I call you... Yan Kuang now, is that right?"

The long-familiar expression of his stern "deadpan" face reappeared on Yan Kuang's features. He remained silent, merely nodding with a frown.

Although Cheng Ruyi was still marveling internally at how Yan Kuang managed to have so many junior sisters, he did not forget to open his mouth and help explain: "Yes, yes, yes! Master Yan resigned from his official post and went wandering across the mountains and rivers. Passing by this place, well... he ended up being hunted down."

"Resigned from office?" Liang Zhanying expressed the exact same question that Lin Jiangyue had asked, her gaze narrowing as she looked at Cheng Ruyi and asked, "And what about this gentleman?"

Not daring to meet Liang Zhanying's scrutinizing eyes, Cheng Ruyi lowered his head and replied, "This humble scholar is Cheng Qingyu, Master Yan's attendant..."

"He is my dearest confidant through life and death," Yan Kuang suddenly interrupted, cutting him off.

Liang Zhanying gave a slight nod. Despite her mind being filled with a flood of questions, she turned around first, pried open a floor tile, lifted out a box containing medicine bottles and bandages, and placed them on the couch.

She said, "Very well, let's temporarily set everything else aside. I only want to ask: how on earth did the two of you become entangled with Penglai New Village?"

Liang Zhanying was different from Han Ning and Lin Jiangyue. Her eyes possessed an inescapable, heart-piercing power. Even someone as adept at fabricating falsehoods as Cheng Ruyi could not casually spin yarns with a straight face in front of her.

Choosing to play the fool and remain silent this time, Cheng Ruyi watched as Yan Kuang pondered for a moment before saying, "Junior Sister, you really should step outside for a while."

With a faint smile, Liang Zhanying silently picked up her spear and departed, pulling the heavy door shut behind her.

...

The afternoon sun was not fiercely bright, casting a leisurely warmth across the mountain paths.

A pile of firewood had been stacked in front of the small wooden cabin. Liang Zhanying was roasting skewered potatoes and a mountain pheasant over the flames, while Yan Kuang stood nearby, helping to add firewood and fan the blaze.

Meanwhile, Cheng Ruyi was sitting somewhat disheveled, clutching a bundle of blue gauze garments with a face full of absolute resistance.

"I... I think my previous clothes can still be worn, they really can," Cheng Ruyi stammered haltingly. "Besides, as a scholar, how can I... how can I... this simply isn't appropriate..."

Hearing this, Liang Zhanying, who was busy roasting the meat, raised her eyes and said mildly, "However, I noticed that Master Cheng's stature is quite similar to mine. I imagine they should fit well. Perhaps the scholar would like to try them on first?"

*That's not the kind of "inappropriate" I meant!*

Cheng Ruyi was torn between laughter and tears. He was a scholar! A grown man! How could he possibly wear a young woman's garments?! This would not do—this absolutely would not do! It violated all propriety... and decorum as well! Cheng Ruyi cursed Yan Kuang in his heart for being so heavy-handed as to tear his already tattered clothes to shreds, leaving him with nothing to wear.

He cast a resentful and pleading look at Yan Kuang, but Yan Kuang completely ignored him, focusing instead on Liang Zhanying as he asked, "So, you too came here because of the strange plague in Ginkgo Village?"