My Gentle and Pure Sect Leader Husband - Chapter 44

The next day, in a departure from his usual behavior, Yu Luocha went out early and returned with a bundle, blocking Yan Hongyin, who hadn’t yet left.  

Yan Hongyin was ushered back into her room by Yu Luocha’s persistent nudging, and asked him speechlessly, “What are you up to now?”  

Yu Luocha placed the bundle on the table, his eyes sparkling as he faced Yan Hongyin. “Ah Yin, I’ve come up with a plan that will absolutely allow you to avoid everyone’s attention and return to the capital!”  

Yan Hongyin subconsciously took a step back.  

She felt that Yu Luocha’s methods might not be very proper.  

Her gaze fell on the bundle Yu Luocha had placed on the table.  

Seeing this, Yu Luocha said, “Not everyone in the Luocha Sect is involved in fighting. A large portion of them are involved in trade between the region outside the Great Wall and the Central Plains. The next group of Western Region merchant teams heading to the capital will pass by Jinling in about two days.”  

Yan Hongyin immediately understood Yu Luocha’s meaning.  

The Great Ming Dynasty emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce. Whether it was trading or shop businesses, a considerable amount of taxes had to be paid. However, in recent years, as His Majesty intended to strengthen ties with the region outside the Great Wall, merchant teams from the Western Region outside the Great Wall received preferential treatment not only in commercial taxes but also in personnel inspections, which were not as strict as those for Central Plains merchant teams.  

This was because the Western Region outside the Great Wall was different from the Central Plains. Tribes were mixed, and small countries stood in great numbers. Before the Luocha Sect was established, the small countries in the Western Region were almost independent, and in such chaos, there was naturally no unified household registration system.  

“The capital has been conducting extremely strict inspections of foreign merchant teams recently,” Yan Hongyin said.  

Moreover, the teams inspecting at each city gate included not only the Imperial Guards but also the Liu Shanmen and the Jinyiwei under Lu Gang.  

Yan Hongyin wasn’t sure who the former two were focused on finding, but Lu Gang had been in charge of the Zhenfu Division for so many years that he must have cultivated trusted subordinates. Naturally, his men were looking for Yan Hongyin.  

Yan Hongyin’s face could change, and her aura could change, but she was indeed different from Yu Luocha and Wang Lianhua. Her personal temperament was too distinct. For Lu Gang, who was familiar with her, as long as he encountered a suspicious person, he would report it and have them followed.  

Lu Gang alone couldn’t kill Yan Hongyin, but with Lu Gang plus the Eldest Prince and the unknown number of retainers behind the Prince of Pingnan’s mansion, the outcome of a battle would be uncertain.  

Of course, Yu Luocha was also aware of Yan Hongyin’s concerns. He opened the bundle on the table, blinked, and said, “So, Ah Yin, you need to make some… changes.”  

Yan Hongyin stared at the bright red clothes and the golden ornaments in the bundle for a long time, then looked at Yu Luocha with a blank expression.  

“Does your injury not hurt anymore?”  

Yu Luocha knew that suggesting this idea had a high probability of getting him beaten, but his expectant little eyes were almost sparkling. “Disguising as other appearances might be difficult, but disguising as a Western Region man is definitely not difficult for Ah Yin! Just follow my lead!”  

“…A man?” Yan Hongyin reached out, picked up the light fabric and the accessories that jingled with every movement, and raised an eyebrow.  

“This is an outer layer, the clothes are definitely not see-through! How could I let others see my Ah Yin,” Yu Luocha swore.  

In fact, Yu Luocha came up with this idea last night after hearing Yan Hongyin mention the slip-up she made while disguised as the Commander.  

“If you make such mistakes, it means that those in the capital who are familiar with you also know this weakness,” Yu Luocha tapped his Adam’s apple. “In that case, why not take advantage of it?”  

Yan Hongyin’s figure was slimmer and more delicate than that of a real man, which was particularly noticeable among women, even rare among women in the martial world. However, if she were a Western Region man skilled in dancing, for the sake of light and agile movements, their figures were mostly slim and strong, which happened to match Yan Hongyin’s. With a slight change to Yan Hongyin’s previous rough disguise techniques, plus some bone-shrinking and shifting techniques, it would be perfect.  

Yan Hongyin’s gaze fell on Yu Luocha’s slightly moving Adam’s apple as he spoke, and she suddenly said, “When you were masked in black and snatching the painting, I didn’t see this.”  

Body shape and back view could deceive people, but the throat, such a vulnerable part, was rarely disguised to change gender.  

During that fight, Yan Hongyin specifically paid attention to the other person’s neck. After finding it smooth and clean, she really had a moment of doubt about the Western Demonic Sect Leader Yu Luocha’s gender.  

Now that she thought about it, it was probably because Yu Luocha’s internal energy was insufficient to create the white mist, so he used this method to confuse others.  

Yu Luocha raised his eyebrows triumphantly, “The Great Heaven and Earth Shift includes bone-shifting techniques. When I was young and struggling to survive, this trick saved me many times!”  

The rumors about Yu Luocha’s ambiguous gender and mysteriousness in the Western Regions were not only because of that released internal energy white mist but also because this person, on a whim, would sometimes disperse the mist and change between male and female, depending on his mood.  

****

Wang Lianhua felt that something was not quite right.  

These days, the number of times Yan Hongyin recognized him had increased.  

Having nothing much to do in Jinling, he used various identities to shuttle around Yan Hongyin, occasionally saying a few words to her. Previously, as long as he didn’t deliberately expose himself, Yan Hongyin had never noticed his disguises.  

But in the past two days, there were several times when he brushed past Yan Hongyin and vaguely sensed her looking at him with a suspicious gaze.  

Although it was just suspicion and not recognition, it was already an unusual change for Yan Hongyin.  

Also…..these days, there seemed to be some subtle changes in Yan Hongyin’s demeanor. She wasn’t as tense and cold as before, but had a hint of an indescribable flavor.  

That feeling… had a familiar yet unfamiliar Western Region vibe.  

Wang Lianhua immediately thought of the troublesome Western Region cat beside Yan Hongyin.  

One day, taking advantage of the opportunity when Yan Hongyin took Ximen Chuixue out for a mountain climb, Wang Lianhua approached Yu Luocha.  

Yu Luocha was in front of the house, burning Buddhist scriptures with Hua Manlou.  

Yu Luocha didn’t feel any guilt for doing such a wasteful and blasphemous thing.  

He sat cross-legged next to the charcoal basin, checking Hua Manlou’s recitation while throwing bamboo scrolls and books into the basin, ignoring Hua Manlou’s pained expression.  

Yu Luocha didn’t leave a single one of the bamboo scrolls once Hua Manlou had memorized them.  

These bamboo scrolls, originally stored in the secret chamber, were Hua Manlou’s beloved treasures. He usually handled them with great care, never expecting Yu Luocha to do this.  

This made Hua Manlou anxious whenever he was tested. Even if Yu Luocha only asked one question, he could quickly recite the entire book in his mind, not wanting to waste any of the effort Yu Luocha had put into preparing those bamboo scrolls for him.  

“Uncle Yu, do you really have to burn them all?” Hua Manlou, squatting beside the charcoal basin, felt the burning heat and frowned, his face full of heartache and reluctance.  

“Now that you’ve learned them, there’s no use in keeping these things,” Yu Luocha replied, using a bamboo stick to stir the unevenly burning bamboo scrolls in the charcoal basin. “We’ll stop here for today and continue tomorrow.”  

“Okay…” Hua Manlou resolved to review the remaining scriptures carefully these two days, before Uncle Yu took action.  

“Do you still want to learn martial arts?” Yu Luocha asked.  

When Yu Luocha first brought Hua Manlou to the secret chamber, he asked Hua Manlou what kind of martial arts he wanted to learn, or what he wanted to learn martial arts for.  

Hua Manlou was different from Yu Luocha, Yan Hongyin, and Ximen Chuixue. He had no family feud, no national responsibility, and didn’t need to fight for survival in a bloody world.  

On the contrary, he had a wealthy and happy family, parents and brothers who loved him dearly. Except for the great change that caused him to lose his sight, Hua Manlou’s first seven years, and the decades to come, were all predictable and enviable.  

So, when faced with Yu Luocha’s question, Hua Manlou couldn’t give an answer.  

After losing his sight, his pride drove him to want to become stronger, to rely less on others. But what was the meaning of becoming stronger, what would he use martial arts for… these were questions that the young boy had never thought about.  

But now, Hua Manlou’s expression was serious, and he knelt properly in front of Yu Luocha, his tone firm, saying word by word:

“I love everything I used to see, and I also love everything I hear now, even a gust of wind, a scent, or a drop of rain.”  

“There has never been a clear distinction between good and evil in this world. I don’t have my own eyes, so I will try to use other people’s eyes to see the world, the joys and sorrows of life.”  

“I don’t want to wield a sharp blade, and I will never use martial arts to judge whether someone should be deprived of their life. Because I am not the law, nor am I a god. I am just an ordinary person who doesn’t want to retreat again in times of danger. Just like Aunt Yan and Uncle Yu protecting and teaching me, and big brother protecting me behind his back in times of danger, I understand the feeling of being pulled out of the mud in darkness and despair. I want to protect those who need protection, to respond to those who cry for help. That way… perhaps there will be many more like me in the future.”  

“Uncle Yu is right, there are no gods or Buddhas in this world. People can kill, but only people can save people. Ah Lou doesn’t expect every person who is helped to help others, but as long as one person responds to this feeling, feeling happy and joyful when wanting to do good, and feeling compassionate and uneasy when wanting to do evil, then it is worthwhile.”  

Yu Luocha was silent for a moment, then asked him, “If others can’t understand and speak ill of you, what will you do?”  

Hua Manlou smiled warmly, his eyes full of joy.  

“Do good deeds, and don’t worry about the future.”  

Yu Luocha quietly looked at the child in front of him, and suddenly showed a somewhat helpless but expected smile.  

With the same Buddhist scriptures and the same experience of falling into the mud, what Hua Manlou saw in the scriptures was completely different from him.  

One side was a saint, the other a Rakshasa.  

However…

“Martial arts without weapons, huh…” Yu Luocha scratched his cheek, deep in thought.  

Not using weapons wasn’t difficult, but the kind of martial arts that Hua Manlou wanted, which could make people retreat without causing harm, was really difficult for Yu Luocha, who often killed with his every move.  

“What’s there to think about such a simple thing?”  

A voice floated down from the big pear tree, making Yu Luocha’s forehead veins twitch.  

Wang Lianhua, dressed in his usual red clothes, still looked like the young master he had been appearing as these days. He was lying half-reclined on a pear tree branch, looking down.  

When he looked at the curious little bean, Wang Lianhua’s eyes showed a hint of complexity, but when his gaze fell on Yu Luocha, it was naked and undisguised disgust.  

Yu Luocha: “…”  

Seeing Wang Lianhua’s face, Yu Luocha suppressed the urge to argue, constantly convincing himself to bear with it for the sake of that face…  

Although he was really annoying, he shouldn’t offend him too much…  

“Little guy, I’ll demonstrate once, listen carefully.”  

Seeing Yu Luocha pretending not to see him, Wang Lianhua became interested. He flipped over and approached Yu Luocha, who was sitting there, forcing Yu Luocha from the front of the house to the center of the yard with a wave of his hand.  

Yu Luocha was not someone with a good temper. Having reached his limit, he retorted, “Carrying a fan in the middle of winter, it seems that senior is quite ill. Are you here to seek medical advice from my family’s wife?”  

Wang Lianhua’s movements were unpredictable and extremely skillful, but in this exchange with Yu Luocha, Wang Lianhua intentionally slowed down his pace and made a sound with his toes every time he landed.  

Yu Luocha noticed Wang Lianhua’s intention to guide him. Although he was surprised, he still cooperated and exchanged moves with him.  

Hua Manlou knelt under the eaves, holding his breath, focusing almost all of his attention on his ears, distinguishing every friction, every movement, and every trace of the wind.  

When the two brushed past each other, Wang Lianhua lowered his voice and asked coldly, “Did you teach her the bone-shrinking technique?”  

Yu Luocha knew that Wang Lianhua’s intention was not simple. He couldn’t possibly be so kind as to interfere when he heard someone else teaching a disciple.  

But Wang Lianhua’s movements were indeed more suitable for Hua Manlou than Yu Luocha’s. Although he didn’t know how much Hua Manlou could comprehend, Yu Luocha owed him a favor.  

This kind of forced transaction made Yu Luocha depressed for a moment, but he still answered, though he couldn’t help but retort, “Ah Yin’s bones are different from ordinary people. Are you saying you didn’t already plan to teach her bone-shrinking? So what if I taught her a few days earlier? Striking first gains the upper hand!” 

Wang Lianhua was almost amused by this. He opened and closed his folding fan, creating a sharp gust of wind that struck towards Yu Luocha’s face. “If the time comes, would I not teach her? Why do you, a half-baked fool, have to meddle!”  

Yu Luocha was provoked and counterattacked, “Ah Yin will come to me to learn whatever she wants, not you. Doesn’t that make you angry? You can’t do anything about it, you’re not her real master!”  

Every word hit Wang Lianhua’s heart. Wang Lianhua sneered, closed his fan, and used it as a sword to thrust at Yu Luocha, aiming straight for Yu Luocha’s handsome face.  

Yu Luocha knew what Wang Lianhua was thinking. He could take a beating, but he had to protect his face—when his face was injured last time, Ah Yin’s eyes were evasive for days, and she didn’t want to look at him.  

Besides, he deliberately took a severe beating before to gain Ah Yin’s sympathy, but Ah Yin wouldn’t be back for a while. He had to show this old monster what it meant for the new generation to surpass the old!  

….

Wang Lianhua suddenly stopped and retreated, frowning, with surprise on his face for the first time. “You practice the Great Heaven and Earth Shift?”  

This was the first time Yu Luocha’s martial arts heritage had been recognized, but with someone like Wang Lianhua, nothing was impossible.  

Back then, the Thousand-faced Gentleman was known in the martial world for his knowledge of various martial arts styles. Many people, after exchanging blows with him, could have their martial arts techniques revealed. The “thousand faces” of the Thousand-faced Gentleman never only referred to Wang Lianhua’s disguises, but also to his endless martial arts techniques and unpredictable attack methods.

“What if I was, and what if I wasn’t?” Yu Luocha actually didn’t care that his martial art had been exposed, as he had only practiced the first four layers of the Great Heaven and Earth Shift, and the latter three layers had long since been lost.

“Did you teach her the bone-shrinking technique from the Great Heaven and Earth Shift?” Wang Lianhua asked.

Then, finding the answer in the fleeting confusion in Yu Luocha’s eyes, Wang Lianhua opened his fan and waved it, showing no intention to continue fighting, “Alright, never mind. Continue teaching your good disciple.”

With that, he moved his foot, gracefully flipped over the wall, and disappeared on the other side.

Yu Luocha: “…”

He had never met anyone more capricious and infuriating!

“Uncle Yu?” Hua Manlou hesitated to speak.

Yu Luocha swallowed his frustration and asked his family’s child, “Ah Lou, how much of that annoying ghost’s body technique did you catch?”

“I only managed to remember less than half. I couldn’t keep up with the rest,” Hua Manlou said honestly.

After Wang Lianhua and Yu Luocha fought, Hua Manlou’s current hearing made it difficult to capture much more.

“Hmph, no matter. Uncle Yu will teach you!” Yu Luocha hummed, “Listen carefully!”

Hua Manlou listened to Yu Luocha’s deliberately slowed pace and body technique, and said in surprise, “Uncle Yu, you also know…?”

Yu Luocha spoke in a tone that suggested “this was nothing”. “This whatever body technique wasn’t difficult. Uncle Yu just watched it once and learned it.”

“Ignorant Western Region wandering cat! This is called Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve!” An angry rebuke came from next door.

A bright red apple flew over the courtyard wall and was about to hit Yu Luocha’s head but was caught and immediately bitten into by Yu Luocha.

“Heard that?” Yu Luocha mumbled while eating the apple, “This is called Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve.”

Then, before finishing his words, he suddenly fell to the ground, and the apple rolled away.

“Uncle Yu—!!”

“It’s nothing, just some specially prepared sleeping drug.”

Wang Lianhua climbed over the wall, looking pleased, and dragged the fallen Yu Luocha into the house. “Who would dare eat something given by anyone? I told you, Western Region people are brainless~”

Hua Manlou stood there in a daze for a long time until Lu Xiaofeng appeared from nowhere and held his hand, whispering, “They’re just playing. Don’t be afraid. I’ll accompany you to practice body techniques in the backyard.”

Hua Manlou remembered that although Uncle Yu’s tone toward that person was very harsh, there was no real hostility, so he listened at the door for a while. Soon, he heard Uncle Yu arguing with the other person after waking up, and then he left with Lu Xiaofeng at ease.

****

On the other side, when Yan Hongyin brought Ximen Chuixue to the highest peak of Jinling City, Ximen Chuixue was already panting, his little face reddened by the cold wind.

“Ah Xue, the question I asked you last month, do you have an answer now?” Yan Hongyin stood at the cliff’s edge, asking the child beside her whose chest was heaving.

Ximen Chuixue listened to the wind howling below the cliff and looked at the distant town that had shrunk to a small patch. His breathing gradually calmed.

Yan Hongyin’s voice was as light and ethereal as a wild goose feather, yet it sounded as heavy as a thousand pounds.

She asked, “Why do you wield a sword?”

There was no sword beside Ximen Chuixue. He had not touched a sword for a very long time.

But the sword in his heart had never been clearer.

“The world was full of treachery, and those who committed evil deeds were as numerous as mushrooms after rain. Killing them would never end. Yet, without a sharp blade hanging over the heads of evildoers, they would only become more rampant and unscrupulous.”

“To heal, one saves a few; to be a saint, one saves hundreds; to follow the Way, one saves thousands.”

“If I wield a sword, I am sincere to the sword, and sincere to people.”

“Demons and monsters, stopping killing with killing!”