by N/A
"Fourth young master is eldest master's precious treasure. If he learns of his death, eldest master will naturally be heartbroken for a long time." He Shun, also the person that had just spoken earlier, pondered for a moment and spoke.
"Hahaha, I precisely want him to also taste this feeling of heartache!" The second master said, howling with laughter. The then laughter stopped, and he ordered the two men in black, "Take us to that place just now."
Without seeing the corpse, he still refused to believe that Luo Qi was already dead. After all, his marital arts were that good, even if he was severely injured, he still ran this far, even shaking his people off his trail!
"Yes."
That said, the four flew towards the direction of the Du village.
However, after the second master arrived at that place, he only just confirmed the matter. Because even they couldn't tell if someone had came by. Rather, they saw the clothes fragments torn by a wolf, and also a few strands of wolf fur.
Soon after, the four quickly left the place.
A few days later, Du Xiao Li stood outside the underbrush. Seeing that the bundle from that time had disappeared, and also there were traces of people coming by in the underbrush, she couldn't help sighing in relief.
Du Xiao Li cooked some meat porridge, and drank a bowl herself. Then she fed half a bowl to Luo Qi. Afterwards, she stayed in the room reading, periodically checking on his condition.
All the way until nighttime, Luo Qi's condition was still fine, but in the middle of the night, he suddenly began having a fever. Du Xiao Li long predicted that it would be like this. She warmed up the medicine and fed it to him. Afterwards, she used gauze dipped in alcohol to repeatedly wipe down his body. By the time Luo Qi's body temperature finally dropped, Du Xiao Li was already beyond exhausted, and directly fell asleep on the side of the bed.
Hazily, Luo Qi felt his body burning all over, like he was about to burn to a crisp. Then, it was like as if something was brushing against his body, leaving behind a burst of coolness. He tried to slightly open his eyes and saw a little figure doing something on his body. Before he could see her face clearly, he once again fainted.
The next day, Du Xiao Li had gotten up really early. This time wasn't because she was a light sleeper, but because her sleeping position was just too uncomfortable. She sat up, rubbed her somewhat stiffened arm, and then reached out to feel Luo Qi's forehead. Learning that he didn't have a fever anymore, she sighed in relief.
"Luckily you're not burning anymore, otherwise it would've been dangerous." Du Xiao Li muttered.
Before she could retract her hand, the person on the bed suddenly opened his eyes. Two pairs of eyes suddenly intersect, somewhat startling the both of them.
"You're awake? How do you feel?" Du Xiao Li once again looked to his eyes, noticing that this time they felt different from yesterday's. Sh retracted her little hand and asked.
"Who are you? Where is this place?" Luo Qi asked.
"I'm Du Xiao Li, this is my house. My family's Silver found you collapsed in the underbrush yesterday, and insisted on saving you, so I saved you back." Du Xiao Li said, "Didn't you walk back yourself yesterday, don't you remember?"
"I walked back myself?" Luo Qi looked to the worn-out house, then to Du Xiao Li asking, "Who am I?"
Du Xiao Li saw Luo Qi's confused look, and couldn't help slapping her forehead, scolding, "Can't be this unlucky!?" Afterwards, she still took Luo Qi's pulse again, even peeling open his eyelids for a look, then lastly reached out and felt around Luo Qi's head. When she felt a large protruding bump on the back of his head, she softly cursed again.
She sat back down on the stool and shrugged, "Who you are, I don't know either." She paused for a moment, then said, "You only have temporary amnesia, it'll get better after some time."
"En." Although Luo Qi lost his memories, it wasn't where his intelligence regressed. That's why, even if he was facing this kind of thing, he who has always been steady didn't have too big of a reaction either. Just, his stomach very much refused to cooperate, and began grumbling.
T/N: I learn from later chapter that Silver is a boy, so I will be using the male pronoun for Silver from now on. The novel uses the pronoun for animals which gender neutral so I wasn't sure before.
Ch. 035 – Mysterious Book
Mysterious Book
Luo Qi heard his own stomach calling and was somewhat embarrassed.
"I'll go cook your medicine first, then afterwards warm some porridge for you." Du Xiao Li said, following which she turned and went out.
Silver was in the room the whole time. Seeing Du Xiao Li go out, he called out twice to Luo Qi, and then also went out.
"Wolf?" Luo Qi looked to Silver in shock. Why was there a wolf here? And even raised by a human! Just then, he heard Du Xiao Li's voice from outside, "Silver, are you hungry? If your hungry, go into the mountains yourself to find food then. Also, see if you can hunt some wild rabbit and whatnot for the person inside to replenish some nutrients."
At that moment, he recalled Du Xiao Li say just now that it was Silver that discovered himself, and even made her save himself. It was only at this time that he finally realize the 'Silver' she spoke of was that wolf.
A while later, Du Xiao Li came in carrying a bowl of medicine. Using the spoon, she fed Luo Qi spoonful by spoonful, saying: "Need to come up with a name for you, can't always call you 'hey', right?"
"Name?" Luo Qi thought for a moment and said the word: "Luo."
"Luo?" Du Xiao Li mumbled it twice and said, "Is this your surname?"
"I don't know, just feel this is very familiar." Luo Qi said.
"Then I'll call you Luo Qi then." Du Xiao Li recalled that there was a 'Qi' character on the back of that plaque in the bundle and said. Yet, she didn't know that this just happens to be Luo Qi's name.
Having fed Luo Qi his medicine, Du Xiao Li went out again to warm the meat porridge. Thinking back to when she was sick and could only eat wild vegetable porridge, she sighed again inside.
After warming the porridge, Du Xiao Li set aside a bowl for herself to cool. Afterwards, she carried a bowl to Luo Qi. While slowly feeding him, she slowly recounted what had happened the day before.
"Oh right." Du Xiao Li had the bowl placed onto a stool, and took out the books and flute she brought back yesterday from the end of the bed. She waved it in front of Luo Qi and said, "Are you familiar with these two things?"
Luo Qi looked to the flute, then to the book, and shook his head, saying: "No impression."
"Then never mind." Du Xiao Li have the things put to the side and picked up the bowl, feeding him another bite, "Maybe someday you'll remember."
"Thank you for saving me." Luo Qi suddenly spoke.
"If you want to thank, then thank my family's Silver." Du Xiao Li said, "If not for Silver discovering you, and then hunting back a wild animal, I definitely wouldn't have saved you. One look, and I can tell you're just the embodiment of trouble."
Luo Qi didn't get angry because of Du Xiao Li's honesty, "Anyways, you're ultimately the one that saved me, no?"
"I don't like owing other people, and don't like others owing me either. I took out a hundred taels from your money, just treat it as payment for saving you. The remaining silver I've put at the end of the bed for you. When you're leaving after your injury heals, remembered to take it." Du Xiao Li said.
(T/N: So I looked it up and one tael of silver in ancient times is worth like $300-$600; the value differs from dynasty to dynasty)
Luo Qi smiled and didn't say anything.
Have to say, Luo Qi's body was exceptionally good. Although Du Xiao Li used herbal medicine together with her silver needles to treat him. The results were very good, but his healing speed amazed even Du Xiao Li. After two days, the wounds on his body began to form scabs, and he could also sit up now.
"Did you figure anything out?" Du Xiao Li came into the room carrying a medicine bowl. Seeing Luo Qi leaning against the bed flipping through those two
books, she asked.
"This should be a secret martial arts manual." Luo Qi said, as he placed down the book, and took the medicine bowl.
"Secret martial arts manual? So these kinds of things really exist?" Du Xiao Li picked up the book and looked it over. Wasn't that something only in dramas?
"Of course there is. Just there's only a few." Luo Qi finished the medicine in one gulp, saying: "Like those experts, normally all have practiced secret techniques before."
Then Han Ming Yi and the others also?
"Oh, then can I also practice?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"You want to practice martial arts?" Luo Qu asked back.
Du Xiao Li nodded. Actually, she wanted to learn qinggong the most. Although her starting point was just to be able to travel faster in the mountains in the future, but that is also a goal, no? As for other martial arts, in this backwater era, knowing a bit of martial arts can also be considered having an extra life-saving charm, right?
"You try this flute and see if you can play it." Luo Qi handed her the flute by the bed.
Du Xiao Li originally thought that Luo Qi just wanted to see if she knew how to play the flute. As a result, she randomly blew into the flute a few times, letting out a few stammering notes. In her past life, she was most adept at the zither and piano. The flute was her worst subject.
Luo Qi looked to Du Xiao Li in surprised. Just now, he'd also tried playing this flute, but no matter how he exerted, this flute just won't sound.
"Looks like you're this flute's fated person." Luo Qi laughed, picking up a book and handing it to Du Xiao Li. "This martial arts, I haven't learned either. You can only learn it yourself."
Du Xiao Li took the book and flipped open the cover, seeing a drawing of a woman inside, holding a flute in her hand, smiling beautifully. She carefully looked, noticing that the flute in the drawing was precisely the one in her hand.
She flipped open another page, and written on there were the three words 'Wind Blowing Snow'.
"Wind blowing snow? What martial arts is this" Du Xiao Li asked. Why did she think of Ximen Chui Xue?
(T/N: Ximen Chui Xue is a character from a very famous Wuxia novel from the 70s by the wuxia novelist Gu Long. The 'Chui Xue' in his name translates to 'blowing snow'.)
"A martial arts that uses sound waves to attack people. Unfortunately, right now, I can't remember, but it should be a very strong martial arts." Luo Qi said.
"Should be right. You don't look like someone who casually regards everything highly either." Du Xiao Li said, and afterwards continued to flip through the book. The following several pages were all related to the flute. Then, continuing on, it was the practice methods. The first part was the method for cultivating inner strength, and the latter part was the method for using tunes to attack. Then, further back, were some music scores.
And written on the very last page of the book was: 'Sounds of the world, this not that, this also that, mutually intertwine, linked in countless ways, one heart align.'
"Linked in countless ways, one heart align....." Du Xiao Li closed the book. At the moment, she still couldn't comprehend the meaning of the last phrase. However, right now it was still early. She didn't need to force herself to immediately understand.
She looked again to the flute. This martial arts was invented by the previous owner of this flute?
"This book, you probably will be interested in." Luo Qi waited until she finished looking through the first book before handing her the second book.
"En?" He was that sure that she would be interested? Du Xiao Li flipped open the cover. The title page only had two phrases. 'Art of healing, the front path is cure in saving; the rear path is poison in killing. One yin, one yang, one front, one back, life and death mutually connected, positive and negative, interdependent.'
Luo Qi was right. Just based on these two phrases, it already hooked her interest!
Afterwards, she looked it over. The middle of the book was divided into upper and lower, two volumes. The upper volume was the explanation of medical techniques, and the lower volume was the art of poison.
"You're giving both these things to me?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"Right now, I've lost my memories, and don't know who I am either. You said there are people trying to kill me. That's why, before I recover my memories, I want to see if I can live here?" Luo Qi said. "Else, even if I go out after my injuries heal, I still wouldn't know who the people after me are. I'm in the light, and the enemies are in the dark, one can't guard against danger."
Eh-----
Feels like he's treating these as lodging fee! Du Xiao Li thought for a moment, and immediately said, "Life here is very difficult. I need to work on the land. You better not expect me to serve you like a servant!"
"Alright." Luo Qi said with a smile.
"Ai, when my brother gets back, he definitely will say something again." Du Xiao Li thought of Du Xiu Heng's temper and couldn't help shivering. When he comes back on break, she undoubtedly won't be able to avoid a scolding.
T/N: Btw the title of next chapter is 'A Certain Person Seems to be Eating Vinegar'; also I've long turned off the logic part of my brain since chapter 1.
Ch. 036 – A Certain Person Seems to be Eating Vinegar
A Certain Person Seems to be Eating Vinegar
T/N: Chapter sponsored by Solivagant! Thank you for sponsoring!
Now that she has the resource to practice martial arts, Du Xiao Li began studying that 'Wind Blowing Snow' the very same day. First she carefully looked over the introduction about the flute in the front, noticing that it was more or less the same flute techniques that she'd learned in her past life. Thus, she quickly flipped through them, directly arriving at the martial arts section in the back. After studying it for a long while, she began practicing according to the book. But she tried several times, and still didn't get that warm feeling in her abdomen like the book had said.
"Could it be because my subconscious mind is still unable to accept martial arts?" Du Xiao Li muttered.
In her past life, although she'd learned many things before, those were all using science as a foundation. And those phenomenons that went against science, for example, qinggong and whatnot, her own subconscious mind would deem as impossible, that's why she still wasn't able to grasp the basics of qinggong this whole time.
Thinking back to her past life, Du Xiao Li suddenly felt somewhat sorrowful. She had died. Don't know if there's anyone that will grieve for her. However, she didn't have the slightest attachment towards that side, and she has never thought of looking for a way to go back. This was probably the sorrow of a rootless duckweed.
Suddenly, she saw the flute placed to the side. She lightly picked it up, her fingers stroked the small holes on the surface, her thoughts couldn't help but wander far away. Afterwards, she had the flute placed to her lips as she began to slowly play it.
In the beginning, she only messily played some simple notes. After she retrieved the feeling from her past life, the flute sounds gradually connected into the famous tune from her past life, 'The Butterfly Lovers'. At the time, when she'd learned this tune, her mother had often let her play.
Thinking about it now, the past life her had lived for that many years, yet had never fallen in love before. Her life was dark, love wasn't something she could have.
Luo Qi listened to Du Xiao Li's playing in the room next door. At first, he thought she was just playing around, but towards the end, he became more and more drawn in as he listened. Those adept skills, and the feelings brought out by the flute sounds, made him somewhat suspect whether or not this beautiful flute tune was actually played by that child.
Han Ming Yi laid in the little courtyard under the evening sky. Suddenly hearing the flute sounds, he couldn't help but open his dozing eyes, and carefully listen.
"To think that there's actually someone in the village that knows how to play the flute, and even play it this well. However, why does it feel that the person playing seems to have gone through an
endless sorrow." Ji Liu Feng at some point had stood in front of him, saying with sigh.
Han Ming Yi nodded his head and said, "Indeed there's a kind of sorrowful feeling. Didn't think that there's even this kind of master in this village."
"Eh, seems that girl, Xiao Li, hasn't visited in several days?!" Ji Liu Feng carelessly said.
Niu Jing came out from the house and said, "Indeed, seems like she hasn't come in four five days."
"Could something have happened? That girl is home all alone. Can a child like that take good care of herself?" Leng Er somewhat worryingly said.
"How about Leng Er go check?" Niu Jing said.
"Okay, young master, I...." Leng Er wanted to tell Han Ming Yi, but before he could finish, he saw Han Ming Yi get up from the guifei couch and say, "Tired from lying down, let's go for a walk."
With that said, he walked out first. Leng Yi, this personal bodyguard, tightly followed after.
"I'm also bored, going to go take a stroll too." Ji Liu Feng said, and also followed after them.
Following which Leng Er also left, leaving Niu Jing by himself at home making dinner.
The group very quickly arrived at the bottom of Du Xiao Li's mountain. Every time they saw those holes she dug, they all couldn't help laughing.
"Little girl, little girl." As soon as Han Ming Yi and the others arrived at the gates, Leng Er immediately shouted into the courtyards.
Du Xiao Li was currently under the eaves preparing to make dinner. Hearing Leng Er's voice, she turned her head and saw that Han Ming Yi and the others have all come. She asked, "Big brother Yi, it's already this late, why did you all come?"
Leng Yi opened the courtyard gates, and Han Ming Yi walked in, saying: "Just causally taking a stroll."
"Girl, what are you doing?" Leng Er saw Du Xiao Li crouching on the ground and asked.
Du Xiao Li couldn't help rolling her eyes at him. What she's doing right now, did it even need to be asked? However, she still smilingly replied, "I'm currently preparing to cook."