kvmb Chapter 280 Valley
Chapter 280 Valley
The wedding of Tang Bing and Qiu Yue was presided over by the Minister of Rites, with the Crown Princess escorting them off. Although time was tight, all the formalities were observed, and the wedding was grand and lively.
Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. With his tall horse and imposing general, Tang Bing generously had his brothers scatter candy and copper coins along the street, attracting crowds of children who followed him, laughing and playing.
As Nan Hua watched the grand wedding procession disappear into the distance, he thought back to his own wedding, when the ten-mile-long red bridal procession was a grand event that the people talked about with great interest during their leisure time.
Which girl waiting to get married doesn't dream of having a grand wedding? But as time goes by, looking back, you realize that grand weddings are just for show; your life is what truly matters.
Then why go to such lengths to arrange a wedding? Just like An Liangchen did it for her, and she did it for Qiuyue.
Perhaps it's because after marriage, one becomes a wife, a mother, and a daughter-in-law. Even if one day they unfortunately divorce and return to being alone, they can never go back to those years when they had dreams, fantasies, and expectations.
Therefore, a grand ceremony is needed to commemorate the death of a girl and the birth of a woman.
How could such a sorrowful thought arise on such a joyous day?
Nan Hua was startled by his own thoughts and muttered to himself, "I've really gone mad lately."
Chunhua had no such distracting thoughts, and her tone was somewhat envious: "I heard before that General Tang was old and ugly, but it turns out that's not true at all. Sister Qiuyue is so lucky."
Gu Yu was not polite to Chun Hua at all: "If you're really old and ugly, then it's your turn to get married."
Chunhua was about to lose her temper, but after glancing at Nanhua, she held back and pouted as if to say, "You wait."
Nan Hua said, "A woman should get married soon. It's not good for Chunhua to keep living in Xi Zhai. I'll go to Laoshan first, and then find her a good family when I come back."
Gu Yu paused for a moment, then replied, "I heard that Master Qian from the southern suburbs recently lost his first wife and is asking someone to act as matchmaker to find a new wife. I think Miss Chunhua is quite suitable."
Chunhua exclaimed, "How am I suitable?"
Gu Yu said, "The matchmaker said that Master Qian would treat his wife like a Buddha."
Without thinking, Chunhua kicked Guyu, who jumped back and landed in the yard. Chunhua chased after her.
Nan Hua smiled, shook her head, and left. She didn't return to the palace; instead, she went to Heaven and Earth.
Behind the Heaven and Earth Mountain lies Shangyuan Peak, covered with patches of spider lilies. Every year when they bloom, the mountain peak appears as vibrant and beautiful as blood when viewed from afar.
Along the path up the mountain, beside the red spider lilies, stands a stone tablet that reads: "Guidance from the Other Shore, the Realm of the Underworld."
When a new disciple joins the sect, the senior disciples will repeatedly warn him: "When gathering herbs, you must avoid Shangyuan Peak. The Yellow Spring Flower is unlucky; it can steal people's souls, capture their spirits, and drive them mad."
There were once new disciples who, like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, ignored advice and insisted on going up to Shangyuan Peak, only to never return.
The eldest disciple led the other disciples to search for the new disciple, who was found unconscious at the boundary marker. They carried the disciple back, but couldn't wake him up no matter what they did.
The next day, when the disciple woke up on his own, he was as if he had lost his soul and forgot everything. He couldn't even remember his own name, where he came from, or where he was going. In the end, he had to be sent back home.
After this happened a few times, no one dared to challenge the sea of red spider lilies anymore. Undisturbed, the sea of flowers naturally bloomed more and more beautifully year after year.
Standing before the boundary marker, Nan Hua looked up and saw that the patches of spider lilies had withered, their green stems topped with remnants of red, and new shoots and leaves beginning to sprout from their roots. In this desolate season, they appeared full of vitality.
After crossing the boundary marker and walking uphill for about a mile, the terrain begins to descend, and the spider lilies gradually disappear, replaced by green pines and cypresses overgrown with weeds.
If you walk down the terrain for about ten feet, you will find a flat valley, which is the training base of the Dongyang Shadow Guards' assassins.
The valley was bustling with activity: some were practicing in pairs, some were practicing solo, some were giving pointers, some were wielding guns, some were wielding sticks, and some were practicing swordsmanship...
The first to see Nanhua was Cheng Yan. He flicked his wrist, and the soft whip wrapped around his waist several times as he approached: "Your Highness, Crown Princess."
Nan Hua said, "Grand Tutor Cheng, you've worked hard."
Cheng Yan was filled with trepidation: "This humble official has only exchanged a few moves with the Crown Prince, and I really dare not accept the title of Grand Tutor."
Nan Hua said, "Grand Tutor Cheng is too modest. The Crown Prince said that Grand Tutor Cheng is devoted to his duties and is extremely loyal and sincere. Whether in terms of merit or character, he is undoubtedly the head of the three tutors of the Eastern Palace."
Cheng Yan was deeply moved: "Loyalty to the emperor is the duty of a subject. Did the Crown Princess come here to feast on Miss Yi?"
Nan Hua asked, "Does she still stay home all day?"
Cheng Yan pointed to the perimeter of the training ground: "There."
Duo Yi, dressed in light green, sat on the dark green grass, with a wreath of green pine branches on her head. She blended into the vast green of the valley and was hardly noticeable unless you looked closely.
Nan Hua slowly approached, stood beside her for a while, and then sat down in front of Duo Yi, staring at her.
Duo Yi remained unresponsive. She was thin, her hands supporting her chin, her face pale, and her eyes vacant, as if she had no awareness of anything around her.
If one hadn't seen it with their own eyes and experienced it firsthand, who would have imagined that this seemingly lifeless girl had once been as radiant as the sun over Fengzhou and as lively as a chattering magpie?
Cheng Yan said softly, "I saw her spacing out all day, so I took off her anklet."
Nan Hua said, "Duo Yi, the reason I've come today is..."
Snapped!
Duo Yi suddenly raised her hand and slapped Nan Hua. She seemed to use all her strength, and her body even swayed slightly after she hit him.
Five clean finger marks immediately appeared on Nan Hua's face.
Cheng Yan was both shocked and furious. He raised his foot and kicked Duo Yi, shouting, "You're asking for death!"
Nan Hua stopped him in time: "Grand Tutor Cheng!"
Cheng Yan's foot was already touching Duo Yi's body, so he had to put it down and said angrily, "You don't know what's good for you."
Nan Hua remained calm: "I'm fine. Grand Tutor Cheng, I'd like to speak with her alone."
Cheng Yan thought about it and was still worried: "How about I have Dongzhi come over?"
Nan Hua insisted, "No need. Don't worry, Grand Tutor Cheng, nothing will happen."
Cheng Yan hesitated and walked away, but didn't dare to go too far, standing three zhang away with his back to them.
Nan Hua touched his face; it was already swollen. You shouldn't hit someone in the face, especially since this was the first time Nan Hua had ever been hit in his life, no matter where it was.
Nan Hua also lost patience and simply told him, "I'll take you to Laoshan. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Duo Yi's voice was sharp and sarcastic: "Why isn't Nan Fei here? Is he dead?"
After a long pause, Nan Hua finally said in a hoarse voice, "Yes, he's dead."
Duo Yi's gaze finally focused, her pupils shrinking slightly: "What did you say?"
Nan Hua repeated, "Nan Fei is dead."
Duo Yi stared blankly at Nan Hua, seemingly unable to understand what he was saying. After a long while, she suddenly lunged at Nan Hua.
Nan Hua used a move called "Thousand-Pound Drop" to avoid being knocked down by Duo Yi.
Duo Yi grabbed Nan Hua's collar and shook him violently, crying out, "What did you say? What did you say? What did you say..."
Nan Hua repeated each word carefully: "Nan-fei-died."