Entangled Love GL - Chapter 22

Not long after Yang Mei left, Yúnniáng also returned to her room to rest. It was already evening when Yang Mei and Shuǐ Yánghuā started fighting, and after a series of commotions, the hour was already late.

Líng’ér hadn’t brought the medicine yet. Muyè was lying on the table waiting, staring thoughtfully at her fingers. Duan Min sat by the window in the distance, also seemingly lost in thought. The room was extremely quiet for a time.

It was Muyè who sighed first and said, “Min-jie, you were so harsh with the knife, will it leave a scar?”

Duan Min turned her head to look at her and reassured her: “You don’t need to worry. I’m very good at scar removal. Even if it does leave one, it’s no matter.”

“Oh?” Muyè’s spirits lifted. She moved over and sat next to her: “Min-jie, your medical skills are so strange. Other things are just so-so, but you’re good at detoxification and scar removal. How come I feel like you shouldn’t be practicing medicine in the marketplace, but are very much connected to the martial arts world!”

Duan Min didn’t respond immediately. After a moment of silence, she said, “My medical skills were all taught by my late father… they have nothing to do with the martial arts world.”

Duan Min stopped there, not intending to explain further. Muyè didn’t delve deeper, smiled, and changed the subject, asking: “Then what were you thinking about just now, Min-jie?”

Duan Min sighed and said, “I was thinking that Shuǐ Yánghuā came to take revenge, and Hall Master Zhāng and the others are going to seek revenge against her. If they succeed, will her three brothers seek revenge again? It would never end. But how can such life-and-death hatred be mediated for no reason?”

Hearing this, Muyè also looked a little dejected, then pretended to be carefree and said: “These things were never-ending in the first place. As long as there are two people in this world, there will be endless disputes.” She paused and continued, “Although this Shuǐ Yánghuā is wicked, I don’t want to kill her, but I won’t help her either. This time, she’s essentially seeking her own doom. She’s reached the end of the road.”

Duan Min smiled. She wasn’t concerned about Shuǐ Yánghuā. She had actually been looking at the present incident and thinking about other matters. At this point, she changed the subject and asked: “Are you going to look for Miss Yang again?”

“No,” Muyè smiled, giving Duan Min a meaningful look, “Miss Yang insisted that I follow you, afraid that Shuǐ Yánghuā would come looking for you again, and wants me to stay by your side until this matter is resolved.”

Yang Mei confronted Shuǐ Yánghuā for a while. Although it was very dangerous, she now had a basic understanding of the situation. She was not the most skilled martial artist in This Place Pavilion, and Shuǐ Yánghuā was ultimately just one person. As long as they could find her whereabouts, the masters of This Place Pavilion could certainly kill her. If they were to add dozens of people with bows, arrows, and concealed weapons, it would be even more foolproof.

But Yang Mei didn’t want to expend this great effort alone. It was late at night when she returned to the Pavilion. Early the next morning, she notified the Nine-Turn Dragon Pavilion and the Roaring Tiger Hall—Old Master Méi was still in charge of affairs at the Roaring Tiger Hall. The families discussed pooling their efforts to find Shuǐ Yánghuā and jointly deal with her.

Four families searched separately for this one woman. She might be masked, or perhaps disguised. She might be staying in an inn or a private residence. She might have just arrived a few days ago, or she might have been here for half a year. Everyone originally thought that since she had shown her face, she would be careful to hide, making the search somewhat difficult. However, Shuǐ Yánghuā brazenly stayed in the Hóng-character room of the Shuāngfú Inn, sporting her unique face.

It wasn’t even evening yet, and the four families hadn’t even truly put in a vigorous effort to search, when they already found her.

Shuāngfú Inn was in the territory of the Nine-Turn Dragon Pavilion. As soon as Yán Bózhān’s subordinates received the news, they replaced the inn’s manager, staff, and all other occupants, and relocated the other guests. The remaining problem was how to put Shuǐ Yánghuā to death.

Old Master Méi first suggested a plan involving trickery, believing that taking advantage of the location to poison her in her food was the least costly method. But Yang Mei proposed that since Shuǐ Yánghuā was skilled in using poison herself, she might see through it. Therefore, they should not relax the ambush even with the poisoning, and must kill her in one fell swoop. In response, Hall Master Zhāng sneered twice and said, “Poisoning her is too easy! Let this old man go in and cut off her head to mourn my precious daughter! You all wait outside. This old man’s axe may not necessarily lose to her!”

Zhāng Mǎn was single-mindedly focused on avenging his daughter and could no longer contain himself as he spoke. Yán Bózhān preemptively stood up, cupping his hands to Méi Jìngxiān and Yang Mei: “Old Master Méi is here out of consideration for the long-standing friendship between our families, and Miss Yang is here to protect herself. But Hall Master Zhāng and I have a deep feud with Shuǐ Yánghuā. Hall Master Zhāng and I will definitely be able to personally kill this evil woman. We ask for the two of you to grant us this opportunity. The two of you can act as support outside the inn. The brothers from Roaring Tiger Hall will be temporarily commanded by Old Master Méi, and the men I brought are entrusted to Miss Yang. In this way, even if Shuǐ Yánghuā is lucky enough to escape our axe and sword, she won’t be able to escape to the heavens.”

Yán Bózhān’s words were logical and the arrangements thorough. The others had no objection. Zhāng Mǎn swung his axe and said, “It’s decided! Nephew, let’s go finish off this evil woman!”

Zhāng Mǎn and Yán Bózhān charged into the inn, and the sounds of fighting soon erupted. Yang Mei and Méi Jìngxiān led the crowd to surround Shuāngfú Inn on all four sides. The two or three hundred people outside the inn had already drawn their swords and prepared their bows and crossbows, ready to strike at any moment.

Xióngfǔ Alley, where Shuāngfú Inn was located, had been sealed off. The atmosphere was tense and quiet. Yang Mei tightly gripped her sword, paying close attention to the situation inside the inn. Zhāng Mǎn’s large axe chopped and hacked with great commotion, and Yán Bózhān’s precious sword occasionally rang out with a zhēng sound, but Shuǐ Yánghuā made no noise. Shuǐ Yánghuā used her fingers, fists, palms, and concealed weapons. In a close-quarters fight against an axe and a sword, she was at a great disadvantage in weaponry. But Yang Mei had experienced Shuǐ Yánghuā’s skill, and did not dare to relax at all at this time.

Yang Mei concentrated and held her breath. Suddenly, someone clapped her shoulder. Startled, she abruptly turned around, drawing her sword. She saw that it was Muyè.

“Why are you here?” Yang Mei frowned. The surrounding people were surprised by this unexpected situation. Although they didn’t move, their concentration was somewhat disturbed. Yang Mei didn’t want to say too much, and only said, “Go back quickly. This is a critical moment. I will find you after the matter is concluded.”

Muyè looked at her and said, “Don’t worry randomly. Shuǐ Yánghuā wants your life, so you are the one in danger. I heard that you had surrounded her, and after thinking it over, I still couldn’t feel at ease. People who are cornered are the most dangerous.”

Yang Mei was speechless for a moment, half warm and half anxious in her heart. Ever since Shuǐ Yánghuā mentioned Duan Min, she had always worried that Duan Min would be affected. Although this idea was unfounded and made her feel overly suspicious, her worry was difficult to subdue.

Muyè then said, “Don’t look at how many people you have. A large crowd has its flaws. You take care of yourself. Life and death are at stake, and regret will be too late.”

“No!” Yang Mei’s heart skipped a beat. “With you here, I—”

Before she could finish, there was a loud crash. A row of windows on the second floor of Shuāngfú Inn exploded simultaneously. A flash of red rushed out, and shattered wood flew like concealed weapons, surging towards them.

Zhāng Mǎn roared hoarsely: “Shoot the arrows! Shoot the arrows!”

Arrows were released instantly, over a hundred of them heading straight for the figure. However, the person’s agility was remarkable. They darted left and right, swift as a fleeing rabbit, and immediately disappeared into the crowd.

“Shuǐ Yánghuā!” Yang Mei was startled. She suddenly saw that face clearly among the hundreds of people, and was utterly shocked.

Shuǐ Yánghuā appeared before her like a ghost, showing a smile.

Yang Mei’s whole body froze. Her consciousness seemed to have left her body. She thought, “Am I already dead?”

A flash of blade light swept across, followed by a series of ding ding dang dang sounds of concealed weapons being deflected.

Yang Mei instantly snapped back to her senses. She saw that Shuǐ Yánghuā had been forced back several steps by Muyè, unable to approach.

Shuǐ Yánghuā was in a precarious situation, facing a hundred people alone. Since her strike failed, she had no chance. She didn’t linger in the fight, turned to retreat quickly, relying on her extraordinary lightness skill to fly, stepping on rooftops and beams southward, moving even faster than the arrows.

“Chase!” Zhāng Mǎn and Yán Bózhān both jumped down from the inn at this moment. The crowd below swarmed out, chasing after her on foot. In an instant, only two people remained in front of the inn.

“So fast.” Muyè glanced at Shuǐ Yánghuā’s rapidly disappearing figure, showing no intention of pursuing. “Too bad she’s injured on the shoulder and is bleeding non-stop. She won’t be able to run too far.”

Yang Mei’s hand, clutching the red-scabbard sword, was trembling. What just happened?

Muyè reached out and squeezed her hand, asking: “Aren’t you going to chase her? Why didn’t your men care about you? They all ran off with others!”

Yang Mei parted her lips, about to explain something, but suddenly shivered, and abruptly pulled Muyè: “Let’s go quickly!”

Shuǐ Yánghuā’s escape did not seem like a desperate, randomized flight, but more like seeking an alternative plan. This location, south and then west, led to Yúnyún Hall. If she set her mind on Duan Min… Yang Mei’s head buzzed. What should she do?