Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Translator: Silvery ButterflyMnxsnzjfqorZmFtHUJmTiWsJYNeLEW

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When Zong Zheng Huai En saw Zuo Ying covered in blood and barely breathing, his heart sank to the bottom.DjChijvjYnPcHbMVPWmzrzMGQwsOEA

The seven men who followed Zuo Ying, all top-notch experts within the sect, had been completely wiped out, leaving only Zuo Ying barely alive.BNgYAcFOJNtlincuLPngTWZWgBUjnx

Before Zuo Ying lost consciousness, he struggled to deliver a final message. He said, “Su Yin told me to tell the young master that you’ll never see Jin Xiao Bao again in this life.”typVmpOWNdJogonLCLiGcRVdyopNfF

Blood gushed from his mouth, making his speech incoherent. But Huai En pieced together the fragmented words, and the meaning made his eyes widen in disbelief.rgYgYzodYkANrTCRGQgIFpjAxlLHHV

Fear surged over him like a vast flood, overwhelming and suffocating. Despite facing countless near-death situations, despite being on the brink of death numerous times, he had never felt such fear.jZSRgMdcXmCBLwssToktoTxpyDtepx

A violent killing intent erupted from Huai En, only to be abruptly reined in. The air around him grew eerily calm, like the silence before a storm, exuding an oppressive force that intensified the surrounding fear.bFrommtDlqmZrOwrZtVxumfYZBHsFX

Huai En pulled out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and tossed it to You Ying. Without looking back, he walked out. “You don’t need to follow me anymore.”FnurvhcMwEVAxcvksGFDBDHhiIKAfi

You Ying, who had been anxiously attending to Zuo Ying, was overjoyed at the sight of the bottle. His face contorted with excitement as he knelt, kowtowing repeatedly. “Thank you, young master! Thank you for saving him!” He immediately poured out the pills, handling them like fragile treasures, and carefully fed them to Zuo Ying.emdXaRgllemDeBCnPxzDNlXiSpEHKX

By the time You Ying realized the implications of Huai En’s words, his young master had already vanished. Alarmed, You Ying gave a few instructions to the sect’s physician before grabbing his sword and chasing after Huai En.edRTPmTftwPyDIcMxNAcikLoAckUjt

Huai En moved with a speed barely discernible to the naked eye, leaping across rooftops. In a few swift bounds, he had left his courtyard. Suddenly, several dark figures blocked his path, and he raised his sword to strike.MDiptDGXVHcWOwXZdGzyZJmLtDRUks

His mind was blank except for one single thought: find Xiao Bao. Anyone who stood in his way would be mercilessly killed!KIPuBIlsCcQRRYBUPrdPDFQvXHMqOO

When You Ying caught up, he saw his young master engaged in a fierce battle with three sect elders who had rushed over. Two of them were even Huai En’s teachers.LPNUPZRPfvqXbczjbbindcTsJWXEhy

Huai En fought with a blank expression, each move ruthless, his eyes a void of desolation. To him, it seemed as though his opponents weren’t the elders who had raised him, but mere enemies.DfvTSEKPzKoaigZNBKbvFoTWdYCpvr

The eldest of the three shouted angrily as they fought, “Have you gone mad, young master?! You’ve been acting strange since you returned from Jiangnan. No wonder the sect leader ordered us to watch you! Snap out of it!”vlQNaFKAYKIOFnCXuZbjUZnWyvrofw

Huai En calmly said, “Those who stand in my way will die.”qbRTDGzCdslpzHGNYwZSMFyKZfSaos

With that, he borrowed a point from the eaves and his body had already flown towards the person who had just spoken. His sword thrust straight at the man’s chest. The man was shocked and quickly tried to block with his own sword, but Huai En used a movement technique that was simply unbelievable. He spun in the air, and his sword suddenly shifted its target, aiming for the man’s lower body. It was too late to dodge. The man only felt a sharp pain in his thigh, and then with a thud, he fell from mid-air to the ground. Blood gushed from a point three inches above his knee. The searing pain finally brought him back to his senses, and he could hardly believe that Huai En’s martial arts had advanced to the point where he could easily injure him.hEEtUgVuDPVDGwXFticAJrIhpnWqaa

Seeing that Huai En had already forced the other two into retreat, showing no mercy in his attacks, the man finally realized the gravity of the situation. He hurriedly pulled out a rope tied around his waist and brought a small wooden whistle to his mouth…ngDMtONlHqeYJMZeYsBYgnaZZzrOFU

You Ying had already rushed to the man’s side the moment he fell, pressing acupuncture points on his leg to stop the bleeding. He then took out some medicine from his robe and quickly applied it to the man’s thigh. Anxiously, he said, “Elder Sun, the Young Master was momentarily confused, you…” Before he could finish his sentence, Hall Master Sun had already pushed him away, grabbed the sword on the ground, and leapt up again, his face full of anger as he charged at Huai En.OhmmJaCzQvizyxBVHqCLcsFBwacTyL

In just a moment, countless Sect members surged in like a tide from all directions. A white figure suddenly appeared in mid-air and then, with terrifying speed, shot towards the eaves where Huai En was standing.PZVbrRUeOuZVLNRONcAAmWJaXlhBZJ

Huai En was fighting three people at once. He knew the white figure was coming at him, but there was no time to dodge. He was struck hard in the chest and was sent flying three zhang away before crashing into a wall.yQMCrpcpjAQmpkDftbzCyCVsUzACGz

Only then did the white figure leap down from the eaves, standing coldly not far from him.tEolHsLrSQNwfjofPIfDPbQtycXroD

It was none other than Zong Zheng Yu Zhan, and at this moment, a bloodstain had already appeared on his right shoulder. Against his snow-white clothing and pale face, it was particularly striking.GKMqVhRJsuJHtCCorCZiCIlwcrgSij

He glanced lightly at his shoulder and said, “Huai En, you are indeed a martial arts genius. Your progress is truly intimidating, but your father didn’t teach you martial arts so you could use them to harm me.”YaiSlyCkWEnGzpngWYvEQUjEYsOrYx

Huai En wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face still frozen like ice, showing no emotion. Yet the determination in his eyes made everyone present feel a chill in their hearts.PhUQflYAPfFjsUEGYEmMKEMVJdMtFM

He said nothing, but raised his sword and rapidly thrust it towards Zong Zheng Yu Zhan. His cold voice drifted into the ears of those around him along with the swishing of his clothes, “Those who stand in my way will die.”vvApejljIIAAlxtVflqmYQoKFuLSqL

A sharp light flashed in Zong Zheng Yu Zhan’s eyes as he disappeared from where he stood. Two white shadows instantly rose into the air, followed by the continuous clashing of weapons, making the hearts of those listening jump with every sound.SBRLlcRYNzGHxwgIGEnFtOwngayysI

The Sect members around them were at a loss, exchanging uncertain glances. One was the Sect Master, the other the Young Master. Now they were fighting, and from the looks of it, they were fighting to the death. What were they supposed to do?nMwSzINSXDRuSXiUUBRbJGbgGtRHjP

Seeing that the two had exchanged more than three hundred moves without a clear winner, several Sect Elders, all veterans of the Jianghu, could no longer tolerate this act of rebellion. Enraged, they began to stamp their feet on the ground. One of them silently accepted an ancient longbow handed over by a subordinate. The bow was pitch black, with fine and smooth wood grain, clearly a rare and excellent weapon. He drew the bow to its full extent, and a sharp arrow shot out rapidly.emoVQYzqooTGKGRhTOoJKyejpWVHyP

Huai En was in the heat of battle, with Zong Zheng Yu Zhan pressing him into a corner. The dense and impenetrable flurry of sword strikes between them had formed a silver-white net. At this moment, any slight distraction could lead to instant death. He sensed the killing intent breaking through the air, but if he diverted his attention to dodge, he would certainly not escape the sword in front of him. In a flash, the arrow had already pierced through his shoulder blade, missing his heart by just an inch. The force of the arrow was immense; after a burst of searing pain, his left arm was rendered immobile, and Huai En’s flawless attack was finally broken.flbrnRsakhKOaUCvYbcbKGXjmgPnVe

Zong Zheng Yu Zhan was clearly not an honorable person. Seeing Huai En injured, his attacks became even fiercer, showing no mercy. As Huai En’s defenses began to falter, the other Hall Masters could no longer stay out of it. They drew their swords and surrounded Huai En tightly.sMYuqXlerAlhwJKluDHOkvAppIqYeW

At this point, Huai En was besieged on all sides. The people surrounding him were all highly skilled in martial arts, having once been his teachers. Their exchanges were incredibly proficient, not to mention that he was still locked in a stalemate with Zong Zheng Yu Zhan. It could be said that he had no chance of winning from the start.POqdHtwUQDTYfDWeflvQDilWuQjrtu

Yet the more dire the situation became, the more recklessly he fought, determined to carve out a bloody path no matter the cost to his own body. The intensity of the fight left everyone present with a chill in their hearts. Seeing Huai En’s injuries multiply, with his body nearly becoming a blood-soaked mess, several Hall Masters couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity. After all, they had raised him themselves. Although he was usually cold and distant, he had always shown them respect. Now that it had come to this, with blades drawn against each other, how could they not hesitate?wujCtRrcvyrdRYhaaCCfIMxZDBvQdN

But looking at the expressions of the Sect Master and the Young Master, one was colder than the other. There was not the slightest hint of familial bond between them. Yet their dispositions were indeed like that of father and son.VkjdEOTbMHfIJIGSUWbIjkuuHsXcAG

After fighting for so long, seeing that Huai En was being forced back step by step, Zong Zheng Yu Zhan seemed to think it was time. He leveraged the clash of swords to flip back, creating some distance between himself and Huai En, then gestured for the Hall Masters to step aside.GVCsLKbnIrxuuxkpPwrewRXVyNIEKO

Only then did Huai En get a chance to catch his breath. He quickly pressed several acupoints on his body to stop the bleeding, his eyes icy cold as he stared at Zong Zheng Yu Zhan.AEpmXNnbKRrpvSZRjFwpGlWriKqJNm

Zong Zheng Yu Zhan sighed, “Do you still want to keep this up with your father?”SmAWarVRkLeVINkKFFNXKxykdvIeQO

Huai En turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood, “I want to leave. Now.”OvUnBRrLeKISeDlbfPzjGBDnJvSlPz

“If you leave, will you ever come back?”KCWZVEGoGOjNMirHsYZFzZsZmqEdJc

“No.”UhrOUBSRHmiHYRgUmrKIaGJulOeBBf

Zong Zheng Yu Zhan nodded, “I figured… That’s why I can’t let you leave, at least not now. Father once said, help me achieve great things, and the whole world will be yours. Then you can go wherever you want. But I’m still far from that position.”GGMtnvsQyYiDSpZkhNkLhvOVFZJdVB

“What does that have to do with me? I won’t get involved in your affairs anymore, and there’s no longer any connection between us.”WxiBQAYTihQOmtIByeRVMcgKKlmhCb

Zong Zheng Yu Zhan’s expression remained unchanged. He calmly looked around and said, “Look around you. Do you think you can leave? You’ve always been so calm, which is why I’ve always trusted you. I didn’t expect you to become so reckless. You’re becoming more useless by the day.”ebIChSNWPOTDChWwlfjSvZiXsCZzUq

Huai En looked around, seeing that he was completely surrounded. He could feel his energy draining, his limbs gradually growing cold—symptoms of blood loss. In no time, whether they attacked him or not, he would lose his ability to move due to excessive bleeding.WmwTrAhjNVdPxahFVBokEzDflzZrnQ

But Xiao Bao was waiting for him—or rather, he clung to the believe that Xiao Bao was waiting for him. He had promised Xiao Bao he would return, so he had to keep his promise. Even if Xiao Bao was no longer there, even if Xiao Bao had stopped waiting and had left with Su Yin, he had to go to Xiao Bao’s side. If he didn’t see Xiao Bao, he wouldn’t believe it. Su Yin was not to be trusted. His mind was growing increasingly muddled… His vision started to blur intermittently, and he knew he didn’t have much time left. Refusing to waste any more breath, he glared with bloodshot eyes and let out a roar as he lunged towards Zong Zheng Yu Zhan.hwjJAThxsRBxJUvkEyRnnINbTGfmDk

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