Love & Redemption
Chapter 40 Farewell to the Youthful Years (3)

Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Farewell to the Youthful Years (3)

Today is the third watch. On the 22nd, due to some matters, the update will be paused for one day. Updates will resume on the 23rd with two daily updates. Thank you all for your support.

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After a month, Xuanji’s injury finally healed completely. The blood hole that had been pierced through her right shoulder had turned into a pink scar, which Chu Lei said might never fade in her lifetime. However, considering the severity of her injury, it was already a miracle that she had recovered so quickly; she naturally could not be too demanding.

Although the adults all seemed unconcerned on the surface, maintaining a calm and amiable demeanor, Xuanji still heard some rumors from Linglong.

"Did you know? All the Five Great Sects have issued a bounty now!"

As soon as Linglong arrived, she pulled Xuanji aside and whispered excitedly.

"What bounty?"

"A bounty for Wu Tong! Father and Valley Master Rong have put out a reward of 500 taels of gold to capture Wu Tong! And they’ve forbidden other sects from taking him in. If anyone does, it’s the same as opposing the Five Great Sects!"

Linglong’s face flushed with excitement, "I never thought father could be so formidable! I even thought he didn’t care about you at all! But he’s really raised the stakes this time!"

Xuanji paused for a moment before saying, "This... doesn’t seem too good, does it? He’s just one person, and now the Five Great Sects are banding together to capture him..."

Linglong glared at her and said urgently, "My lady! You can’t be so soft-hearted! Haven’t you thought about the hole in your shoulder? When he stabbed you, why didn’t he think of the consequences he’s facing today?! It’s his own doing!"

Xuanji shook her head, "No, I didn’t mean that... What I mean is, Wu Tong gives off a... very bad feeling. I always feel that driving him into a corner is not a good thing."

Linglong tilted her head back, utterly dismissive, "What can he do?! Oppose the Five Great Sects? I don’t believe it!"

There was nothing to disbelieve... Xuanji frowned inwardly. Judging from Wu Tong’s series of actions, he was ambitious, capable, stubborn, and narrow-minded. The most frightening aspect was his strong desire for revenge. They had only given him a minor punishment that didn’t hurt his skin, yet he had gone so far as to unsheathe his sword and stab Linglong.

Such a person must have an extremely twisted and insecure heart, unable to tolerate even the slightest slight. If this bounty hunt succeeded, all would be well, but if it failed, this man would undoubtedly become a major threat in the future.

"Linglong, listen to me..."

She wanted to warn Linglong, but was suddenly embraced by her, "Good sister, stop talking about these boring things! Look how nice the weather is today, shall we go out and have fun? You’re about to leave for Little Yang Peak soon, and we don’t know how often we’ll be able to meet in the future!"

With a tinge of sadness in her tone, Xuanji remembered that she indeed had only a few days left before she would leave.

Sigh, it was really time to say farewell to everything at Shaoyang Peak. Her room, the crooked characters she had written, the large bed she loved to sprawl on and daydream...

"What are you daydreaming for? Let’s go!"

Linglong dragged her out the door.

The weather was indeed beautiful today, the sunlight dazzling, with the thinnest clouds hanging like silk against the horizon, and the sky clear and boundless.

Arm in arm, Linglong and Xuanji strolled to the midsection of the back mountain. There was an open space similar to the one near the Spiritual Spring at Little Yang Peak, also with a small pool of water, though it lacked the spiritual qualities of the spring.

But what surprised Xuanji the most was that several members of the Min Generation from her sect were gathered in front of the pool, catching fish, skinning rabbits, and upon seeing the two of them arrive, they began to clap and laugh, "We thought you weren’t coming! What took you so long? Good thing we haven’t started cooking yet!"

Linglong, grinning, dragged Xuanji over and asked, "Second Senior Brother, what delicious food have you prepared for today’s gathering?"

Chen Minjue was skewering the freshly cleaned fish and rabbits on sticks, and without looking up, he replied, "All you think about is eating. Just wait and see! Back in the day, I learned culinary skills for two years from Tianxiang Building’s master chef. I guarantee these two girls will want to swallow their tongues after tasting my cooking!"

Someone interjected from the side, "Don’t listen to his nonsense! If he doesn’t burn the food to a crisp, that’s already good enough! For something like this, you need to rely on our First Senior Brother!"

"Hey hey, no tearing down my sign like that!" Chen Minjue protested, quite annoyed.

Casting her gaze around, Xuanji didn’t see Zhong Minyan or Du Minxing, so she couldn’t help but ask, "Where are First Senior Brother and Sixth Brother?"

"They’ve gone to get the good stuff," Chen Minjue said with a mischievous grin, looking sly, "Today’s gathering is a farewell party for little sister Xuanji. If we don’t have that particular item, where’s the joy in it?"

"What exactly is it? You’re being so secretive!"

Linglong was completely baffled, while Xuanji had a guess and simply smiled without saying a word.

The two of them simply squatted down to help clean fish scales and skewer the items on branches.

After being busy for a while, they heard someone call out, "Hey! Here they come! How about it? Did you bring it?"

Linglong and Xuanji hurriedly turned around to see Du Minxing and Zhong Minyan returning from the opposite side, both smiling broadly with their hands behind their backs, holding some unknown goodies.

Eager as always, Ouyang Minli ran over and insisted on digging out the items that they had hidden behind them. It turned out to be two jars of liquor, sealed with red paper. As soon as she got close, the intoxicating scent of fruits wafted over.

"Ah, Fruit Yellow!" Xuanji recognized the aroma. The adults in Lutai Town had enjoyed quite a bit of it, and she had been rather tempted herself!

"Did you guys go to Lutai Town, Big Brother?"

Just for the sake of buying Fruit Yellow?

Du Minxing laughed and said, "Yes, I’ve been hearing Min Yan talk about Fruit Yellow for so long, he got me all curious. This morning, I asked him to lead the way, and we flew to Lutai Town together to buy two jars and give it a try."

After speaking, he patted Zhong Minyan on the shoulder and added, "This lad did well, I don’t know when he sneakily mastered Sword Flight! And he flies quite decently!"

Zhong Minyan’s face turned red but he seemed a bit concerned, glancing covertly at Chen Minjue. Since Second Senior Brother had not yet learned Sword Control, he was worried that he might take it to heart, but seeing that his expression was unchanged, Min Yan felt a bit more at ease.

As they opened the liquor over here, the fragrance immediately spread far and wide, truly delightful. Linglong’s mouth watered, and she urged the senior brothers to start the fire and cook the meat earnestly. When the grilled meat was dripping with fat and had turned a golden color, everyone sat around the fire in a circle, filled their cups with liquor, and made a toast.

"Come on, cheers! To bid farewell to our sister Xuanji!"

Chen Minjue called out the loudest, clinking his bowl hard against Xuanji’s, and the others followed suit, almost shattering her bowl.

Caught up in their spirit, Xuanji also laughed, but she dared not gulp down the liquor in one go like the senior brothers. She had never drunk before, and seeing the amber color and fragrant aroma, she first took a timid sip and immediately grimaced.

It turned out that although the liquor smelled sweet, it was unbearably spicy to drink, it stung her throat and was hard to swallow. Once it finally went down, it turned into a fireball in her belly, burning fiercely.

Linglong drank with gusto, emptying her bowl in one go. Seeing Xuanji looking pitiful, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, "You little scaredy-cat! It’s just alcohol, not poison! Hurry up, drink it down!"

Xuanji had no choice but to close her eyes, steel her heart, and downed the liquor in her bowl, her eyes streaming from the burn.

To her surprise, after the liquor stayed in her stomach for a while, the taste actually changed, becoming pleasantly warm, and her whole body felt as if it were melting, light and supremely comfortable.

Xuanji took a bite of roasted rabbit meat, and someone topped up her drink, each and everyone urging her to drink more.

This time she did not refuse and accepted them all, one bowl following another until she no longer knew what she was doing.

In her ears, she heard Zhong Minyan saying, "...going to Little Yang Peak, we don’t know when we’ll see each other again. You’ll have to practice diligently from now on; we’re all looking forward to seeing you become a female hero!"

Her heart felt both sweet and bitter, a complexity that was even more intricate than the taste of Fruit Yellow. Once she left for Little Yang Peak, even though it was still part of the Shaoyang Sect, everyone would be busy with their own affairs. How could they meet as often as they did while living together? It was possible that they might only meet once a year or not even at all.

That day when Aunt Hong asked her if she wanted to go to Little Yang Peak, she agreed without hesitation. Perhaps deep down, she was also looking for a different kind of life than the present one, one that was more free and unbridled. To do what she wanted to do, what she liked, rather than staying cooped up at home, anxiously awaiting her parents’ discipline and tears.

"I... I have aspirations too..." she murmured softly, unheard by anyone.

"What are you saying?"

Linglong leaned over to ask, her breath reeking of alcohol, her face was flushed redder than if she had applied rouge.

Xuanji shook her head slightly and lifted her bowl high, declaring loudly, "Just wait, when I become a female hero! I won’t disappoint any of you!"

Everyone cheered together, raising their bowls and downing the Fruit Yellow inside.

Then, they smashed their bowls, lay on the ground, and let loose—some chatted away nonsensically, others simply fell asleep.

Lying on the ground with her eyes closed, Xuanji could still taste the slightly astringent flavor of Fruit Yellow on her lips and teeth, reminiscent of the taste of youth—hot and immature, sweet yet melancholic.

All of this, it was all passing.

She thought, then closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep, oblivious to everything else.