"Ruo'er?! Ruo'er?!"
The dawn had not yet broken, and the morning air felt desolate. Nan Muxue rushed out from the carriage, her figure appearing frail and her expression so frantic it seemed she might collapse at any moment.
"Xue'er."
The sky was still pitch black; not even a rooster had crowed. Hearing that call, Nan Muxue threw herself recklessly into the other woman's arms. "Ruo'er..."
"Xue'er, I'm here," Chu Ruo said, holding her tightly in return. "I only wanted to make you something to eat—"
"You are not allowed to go!" Nan Muxue roared from her embrace, her voice thick with desperation. "You aren't allowed to go. You aren't... you aren't allowed to leave me."
Her voice was muffled, trembling with a trace of a shudder. Chu Ruo’s heart ached even more. "Alright, I won't go. I won't go. I'll stay right here and hold you. I'm not going anywhere."
She had originally thought that since they hadn't returned from the cliff last night and had to rush to the Martial Arts Assembly today, she would quietly start a fire, prepare some food, and brew a pot of hot tea. She wanted her beloved to wake up to a comfortable, steaming breakfast. She thought it was still early and that her movements had been light, but she hadn't expected this woman to wake the instant she was gone, searching for her in a state of terror.
"Ruo'er, don't leave..."
Nan Muxue kept repeating the same sentiment. Chu Ruo played along, coaxing her with a kiss to her forehead. "Be good, I'm not going anywhere."
It took a long time for Nan Muxue to finally calm down. "Xue'er, I haven't left. You're wearing so little; go back inside the carriage first. I'll brew the tea..."
"No." Nan Muxue gripped her tightly, refusing to budge from her embrace.
Chu Ruo glanced helplessly at the small flame she had just started; having been neglected for so long, it had already turned to cold ash. She said cautiously, "Then, shall we go back inside together?"
Without waiting for an answer, they moved back into the warm interior of the carriage, huddled together.
"Put your outer robe on quickly. Thank goodness there's a charcoal brazier in here." Chu Ruo shut the carriage door tight, though she left a tiny crack in the window to prevent it from becoming too stifling. "Are you cold? Running out with so little on... your body is naturally cold as it is. What if you get sick?"
She nagged incessantly while her hands busied themselves with the charcoal fire. In response, Nan Muxue pulled her into a painful, tight embrace. "Hold me tighter."
"Am I not already holding you?" Chu Ruo smiled faintly. "Xue'er, don't be afraid. I won't leave. Never." She knew that ever since she had jumped off the cliff, this woman had endured too much. A person who looked down upon the world with such indifference was now perpetually haunted by the fear of loss whenever it concerned Chu Ruo. Chu Ruo felt a profound sense of moved affection. "Don't be afraid. I'm right by your side."
Nan Muxue simply nestled in her arms. "Ruo'er, you... you truly won't leave me?"
"Of course," Chu Ruo said, gently pinching her chin. "What kind of question is that? Do you not trust me? You're making me quite sad..."
She spoke playfully, but Nan Muxue shook her head. "Even if you are unwilling to leave, it may not be under your control. If you were to disappear in your sleep just as you arrived here, where would I go to find you?"
That was an awkward point. While it was true that Chu Ruo had accidentally transmigrated while taking a nap at home—a fact that still frustrated her—she likely couldn't go back now. After all, she had slept for many days here without returning. It was probably some freak occurrence of magnetic fields or something. Too lazy to overthink it, she smiled again. "Then when we sleep at night, you hold me tight. Grasp my hand, just like this. Then grab onto my clothes. That way I won't disappear, because you'll have a firm hold on me. I won't be able to leave even if I wanted to."
Nan Muxue's tension finally eased, coaxed away by the other's playful demeanor. However, from that day forward, she truly did exactly that, persisting for many years. She would always curl up in Chu Ruo's arms, their fingers locked tightly together—a symbol of two hearts joined forever. And Chu Ruo kept her promise, staying by her Little Scorpion's side for a lifetime, never to be parted again.
"Put on your clothes and freshen up. We have to head out. Don't we still have to go to the Martial Arts Assembly today?"
"Sleep a while longer. It's still early."
Chu Ruo was surprised. "Didn't you say yesterday that we had to go early and couldn't be late? Even if it's not the Hundred Flowers Palace's turn to take the stage today..."
"I'm tired."
With those two simple words, Chu Ruo stopped questioning her and lay back down. "Look at you, you've caught my habit of sleeping in. But I love you no matter what. Staying in bed with me is the best, because I get to hold you longer. When we get back to the Hundred Flowers Palace, I'm going to hold you every day, every minute, every second... *yawn*..." As she spoke, she grew drowsy herself, her consciousness drifting. "Always holding you... *zzzz*..."
Nan Muxue looked up. Though the light was not yet sufficient to see the other's face clearly, she could still unerringly trace her brow. "Alright, I promise you. I will promise you anything, my Ruo'er." *As long as you do not leave, I will realize everything in this world for you, if it is what you desire.*
***
Chu Ruo had a wonderful second sleep. When she opened her eyes again, she was greeted by a moving, deep kiss. Nan Muxue’s initiative, urgency, and devotion made the moment feel absolutely exquisite.
Chu Ruo pulled back slightly, breathless. "Does this count as 'offering favors for no reason'?"
A finger immediately pressed into a specific spot on her back. "What do you think?"
That was the very spot the Little Scorpion had mentioned—the one where a three-inch thrust would cause instant death. *Honestly, what kind of person is she?* One moment she’s kissing me, the next she’s threatening me. It was a total sugar-coated bullet. She was like a heartless scoundrel who stole a pure girl's first kiss and then refused to take responsibility. How tragic. "You... you Little Scorpion."
"Say that again."
Sure enough, the finger pressed in another fraction. *Oh, you think you're so tough?* Taking advantage of a lapse in Nan Muxue's guard, Chu Ruo flipped over and pinned her down. "All you know how to do is bully me." She buried her head to nibble at the corner of those lips. "If you aren't a Little Scorpion, then what are you?"
Nan Muxue had already moved her hand away the moment Chu Ruo moved, choosing instead to hook her arms around the other's neck. "I am indeed that Little Scorpion whom everyone in the martial world fears. If you wish to flee now..."
"I couldn't bear to," Chu Ruo interrupted, tapping the tip of the other's nose. "I'm going to claim you for myself, thereby removing a great threat to the martial world. In the process, I'll be rescuing all the men..." she paused deliberately, "...and women of the world."
"Oh?" Nan Muxue’s eyes were full of mirth, tinged with a hint of wild arrogance. "But your Master wishes to say that even if you wanted to flee, it is too late. Are you... afraid?"
"Terrified. Absolutely petrified. You've got my little heart thumping non-stop." The finger that had been wandering near the lips of the woman beneath her returned to her own face. "You have to comfort me."
The cliffside was silent, but the carriage standing nearby was anything but.
"Enough playing, let's get up," Chu Ruo said, pulling the other woman up with her. "It must be late."
"Wipe your face." Nan Muxue handed her a prepared damp cloth. "Are you hungry? There's a mutton shop with a good reputation. Or if you find that too heavy, there's a restaurant with delicate and tasty dishes. They have that perilla soup you like... why are you staring at me?"
"Won't we be late if we go to the Martial Arts Assembly now? You still have time to take me out to eat?"
"So much talk." Nan Muxue pulled her over to comb her hair. "Are you going or not?"
Chu Ruo thought for a moment. "Well, hearing you describe it makes me really want to go. But don't we have official business? We should go watch the sect matches first. We can go to the restaurant tonight."
"Let's go."
"Yes, Ma'am."
It wasn't until a voice came from outside and the carriage began to move that Chu Ruo realized someone else was there. "Who's outside?"
"You call her 'Sister A-Yue' every other breath, yet you can't recognize her voice?"
"When did she get here?"
"A bit before you woke up. I instructed her yesterday to come pick us up around this time."
"Oh. Actually, we didn't really need her to pick us up. Is it because you don't know how to drive a carriage?"
Nan Muxue gave her a tug, causing Chu Ruo to fall back into her embrace. "Mmm, it's much more comfortable being held by my Xue'er. Wait, oh, I get it." She finally realized. "You were worried about me and couldn't bear to let me go, so you didn't have time to drive the carriage because you wanted to hold me? Quick, let me give you a kiss as a reward... *mmpf*... *mmgh*..." Chu Ruo wailed internally. *Why did this Little Scorpion pinch my mouth shut again?* Not letting her talk and not letting her kiss—life was truly devoid of meaning.
The person behind her, however, looked at her with eyes full of tenderness, pulling her even tighter.
"Whoa..."
The sound of the horse being reined in followed, and the horse obediently came to a halt. "We're here. Get down."
Chu Ruo followed Nan Muxue out of the carriage and stared blankly at the large sign for 'Keman Hall.' "Didn't we say we'd come tonight?"
Nan Muxue simply walked inside. "You can go back right now if you like."
"Little Scorpion... *bleh*..." Nan Muxue turned back with a sharp, piercing gaze. Chu Ruo instantly transformed her expression into a smile brighter than a flower and stuck to her side. "Well, since we're already here, there's no reason to go back. I'll go wherever you go. I'm following my Xue'er."
"Shameless."
Inside the private room: "Where's A-Yue? Why didn't you ask her to come in?"
"I sent her back. Just eat."
"Speaking of which, why didn't you call Xiao Guo'er? Don't be fooled by her small frame; she's quite good at driving a carriage. But then again, it's probably better not to call her. With that big mouth of hers..." A large piece of pork hock was stuffed into Chu Ruo's mouth, nearly making her choke. "What was that for?"
"Eat your food. Every time you open your mouth, you're thinking of someone else." Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow, her smile full of playful mischief. "Is Ruo'er interested in Xiao Guo'er as well?"
*Pfft...* "Thank goodness I didn't have water in my mouth, or I'd have sprayed a rainbow all over you. Give it a rest. Anyone else maybe, but Xiao Guo'er and I have a 'revolutionary friendship.' Besides, she's currently disgusted to death by me."
"So you're saying, if she weren't disgusted by you..."
"That's enough out of you!"
"Enough of what? Your Master remembers that the two of you were quite close. She was the one who took care of you from the start. Who was it that told me when they first arrived at the Palace that Xiao Guo'er was especially good to them? That she'd remind them to wake up early, secretly save food for them, and..."
"Hey, hey, hey! Didn't you order her to take care of me? Back then, I didn't have anyone else to talk to besides her. And those things I said... I said them to Yan'er. Speaking of which, you pretended to be Yan'er to trick so much information out of me... Ow, don't pinch my face, it hurts..."
The meal passed mostly with the two of them joking and Nan Muxue "bullying" Chu Ruo. Once they were full, Nan Muxue led her through the streets, bathing in the sunlight together.
"Why are you leading a horse? Where's the carriage?" Chu Ruo was very confused. After eating, the carriage was gone, and Nan Muxue had taken her to the stables to get a horse. Furthermore, they hadn't headed toward the Martial Arts Assembly grounds at all. Instead, the crowds grew thinner, and they were soon entering a small grove.
"Haven't you always wanted to learn how to ride?"
"Now?! I'm not going—"
She was interrupted. "I will teach you. Is that alright?"
Despite her surprise, Chu Ruo nodded. She was struck by how well Nan Muxue treated her—such indulgence and pampering. Mostly, of course, she was moved.
***
Wanfu Tower.
"Where did Xue'er and Chu Ruo go?"
Nangong Yan and Duan Ning didn't answer at all. Instead, they deliberately ignored the questioner and began chatting and laughing together. Although Yin Liuli didn't want to deal with her either, she didn't want things to get too tense. She replied stiffly, "The Young Palace Master and the Holy Envoy naturally have business to attend to. It is not our place to ask."
Clearly, this was not the answer Nan Yunshuang wanted to hear. "Missing the Martial Arts Assembly without cause—do you know how much this affects the Hundred Flowers Palace's reputation? The other sects are already very displeased. Where exactly did they go?"
"If the First Protector is so concerned, why don't you go look for them yourself?" Duan Ning actually spat out a few sunflower seed shells. "Being a follower of the Old Palace Master really is different; your reach is exceptionally long."
"Then why don't you test just how long my reach is!"
A blade cleared its scabbard, a cold light flashing. Duan Ning slapped the table and stood up. "Fine! Let's go!"
Unexpectedly, Nangong Yan was even faster. Her sword tip lunged straight for the other's throat. Seeing the attacker, Nan Yunshuang forcibly retracted her strike. Nangong Yan saw this, but in her fury, her speed was too great to pull back in time. Fortunately, Yin Liuli intervened just in time, a burst of internal energy knocking the Ice-Congealing Sword aside. "Fighting amongst ourselves only makes us a laughingstock. The disciples are still here. With the Young Palace Master away, if we Protectors don't manage the disciples properly and instead start brawling, how can the Hundred Flowers Palace talk of competing for the Alliance Leadership?"
"I said, tell me where they—"
"It seems the First Protector wants to manage me as well. In that case, why don't you just take the position of Young Palace Master yourself?"
Nan Yunshuang turned around and cupped her hands. "This subordinate would not dare."
"Spare me. Since you have no respect for me, why bother with the formalities?" Nan Muxue stood with her hands behind her back, exuding the aura of a sovereign. "You wouldn't dare? Is there anything left in this Hundred Flowers Palace that you *don't* dare to do?"
"Subordinate..."
*Clack!* Chu Ruo watched as her Little Scorpion flicked her sleeve, sending a white porcelain cup flying toward Nan Yunshuang. It struck her squarely and shattered on the floor. Nan Yunshuang was knocked back several steps. It wasn't a severe injury, but it clearly hurt.
"Hmph!" A cold snort escaped Nan Muxue's nose. "I have told you before: Ruo'er is my Holy Envoy. Do not entertain those thoughts of yours again. This is my final warning. You are welcome to see what the consequences will be if you try."
"This subordinate must still remind the Young Palace Master that the position of Alliance Leader this time—"
"I have my own plans. As for those mere other sects, I, Nan Muxue, will go when I please and stay away when I please. What do they count for?"
Seeing this, Nan Yunshuang said no more and turned to leave.
The others immediately gathered around. Duan Ning, in particular, smiled with a suggestive look. "Ooh, look who's back from their private world. Look at how refreshed she looks. Meanwhile, we were out there eating dust all day watching people fight. What a difference~"
"Can you not be so annoying? My Master and I... we went to handle official business."
"What official business? What could be more important right now than the Alliance election? Tsk, tsk, tsk!"
"You!"
"Enough." Nan Muxue sat down expressionlessly, picking up a cup of tea and toyed with the rim. "Tell me about today's situation."
Once the topic turned to business, the joking stopped. Yin Liuli spoke first. "The situation is likely not very optimistic. Today, three sects and the 'Hungry Butcher' emerged victorious. The fighters from those three sects didn't seem quite right. Although the techniques they used were from their own schools, there was a pervasive sense of sinister ruthlessness. They were lethal and showed no mercy. As for the Hungry Butcher, we all know his reputation. While this is all strange, they don't seem like the 'Medicinal Men' Chu Ruo described. We haven't heard anything about the missing people returning, either. This Martial Arts Assembly is not simple."
"Then does our Hundred Flowers Palace have a sure chance of winning?"
*Smack!* Chu Ruo was hit on the head again, this time by Duan Ning. "Nonsense. Do you think everyone is as incompetent as you? Setting those three sects aside for a moment, that Hungry Butcher... his martial arts are even more formidable than before. He's improved significantly. Among those who advanced today, he is definitely someone to be wary of. We must take precautions."
"Hungry Butcher? What does he do?"
Nangong Yan explained. "This man is quite famous in the martial world, though not for anything good. You could say he does everything *except* good deeds. His name is E Tu—the 'E' for hunger and 'Tu' for butcher. It sounds exactly like the word for 'villain.' As you might have guessed, he was a butcher by trade. However, it wasn't pigs he slaughtered."
Chu Ruo’s heart skipped a beat. "You aren't going to say he slaughtered... people..."
"Correct. And he even eats—"
"Stop, stop, stop! Don't say any more. Just tell me the important parts."
"Coward," Nangong Yan chuckled. "This fellow's favorite thing is to take his captives and cook—"
"I said stop!" Chu Ruo felt a wave of nausea. What kind of freak eats human flesh? It was revolting enough to make her want to throw up the lavish lunch she'd had. "Continue. Just talk."
"What else is there to say? In short, we must be careful of this man. Extremely careful."
***
"Hey, where do you think Xue'er and her precious disciple went today?"
"Wherever they went, Xue'er has never acted like this before. It's truly too abnormal. Yunshuang was right about one thing: those sects are very angry. Xue'er really has changed. Offending so many sects... *sigh*."
"I didn't expect it either—that she would actually skip the meeting for Chu Ruo's sake. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."
That night, Chu Ruo lay in bed, unable to sleep. "Xue'er, are you truly confident about tomorrow?"
Nan Muxue smiled faintly. "What, were you scared out of your wits by that Hungry Butcher?" She snuggled into the warmth of the other's embrace. "Who said I was the one fighting tomorrow?"
"You aren't going? Then who is?"
"Yunshuang. Among the four Protectors, her cultivation is the best. Moreover, her dual-handed sword technique is superb; she is the only one in the Hundred Flowers Palace who can master it. This is our palace's first match. We must not only win, but win beautifully and decisively. Don't worry."
"I'm not worried about her. But that Hungry Butcher is so powerful. What if you run into him later? Why don't you just skip any match he's in and let Nan Yunshuang go? She represents the Hundred Flowers Palace anyway."
Nan Muxue gripped her hand, her breathing beginning to steady in the embrace. "Mmm. As you wish. I'll do whatever you say."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 南云霜 | Nan Yunshuang | The First Protector of the Hundred Flowers Palace. |
| 冰凝剑 | Ice-Congealing Sword | Nangong Yan's signature weapon. |
| 饿屠 | E Tu / Hungry Butcher | A notorious, cannibalistic martial artist participating in the assembly. |
| 百花蛊 | Hundred Flowers Gu | A specialized poison or parasitic insect used by the Hundred Flowers Palace. |
| 圣使 | Holy Envoy | Chu Ruo's official title within the Hundred Flowers Palace. |
| 糖衣炮弹 | Sugar-coated bullets | An idiom for something that seems sweet but is dangerous or manipulative; used playfully here. |
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