12. The Shuǐ Manor

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In the real world LanFen opened her eyes just a bit, to find it was bright daylight.

The noise around them had indeed multiplied, and she realised it was because they were now passing through the canal of a busy city.

She glanced up at the sun first, wondering how long they had been travelling altogether. It seemed like about three days at least.

If that was the case, and they were taking her to the ShuǐLiu sect, and given their current speed, then they would likely reach the Western region in about four or five days.

She glanced from side to side.

Excited people lined both sides of the canal, waving as the boats passed. Lots of them were admirers, curious residents, and a ton of traders trying to sell things to those on the boats.

It was so noisy that a messy jumble of different things could be heard from the boat:

"What a group of valiant young men!"

"So graceful and honourable!"

"Peaches! Round ripe peaches! How about a peach for the fair ladies?"

"Ahhh! They're so handsome!"

"I heard they captured the murderer of the two clans!"

"Sugar-coated nuts! A pound for a small gold piece!

"Warm rice cakes to bring warmth to your journey!"

"They are all so heroic!"

"Young men! Spend some time with us!"

"Is that him? The Bloody Sage?"

"Don't look! I hear he can suck out all your Qi through your eyes!"

"Pfft!" LanFen's laughter slipped out. What amazing powers were these people bestowing her with?!

Unfortunately, her small laughter was loud enough to alert Meng ZhuGuo.

"Y-you! You're awake!" He scowled, inching backwards a little. The other disciples on the boat ran over. The four here were three boys and one of the ladies.

LanFen faked a yawn before replying.

"Hmmm, yes. The rocking boat let me have a nice long sleep... Fatty, how's your chest?" she asked sweetly.

Angry red splotches appeared on his face. "You-! You brat! The heavens will surely throw down a lightning bolt to strike you!"

LanFen, "Ei? But the skies are so clear. Dare you bestow the heavens with an unnecessary duty?"

Two of the disciples laughed, including the lady.

Meng ZhuGuo, "You-! I will watch with relish as they torture and punish you!"

"Ahahahahahahaha!" LanFen's evil peals of laughter rang like light bells around the canal.

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That night, Shuǐ ChénLín made sure everyone but the rowers were asleep, and then he leapt through the air to the second boat, floating down gracefully to the wooden floor. He took a few silent steps, stopping before the veiled, sleeping figure tied to the center of the boat.

The black veil swayed gently in the slight wind

'Zhao Lanfeng, what have you passed through till now, to make you do something like this?'

His memory of Zhao LanFeng had been of a bright-eyed, defiant boy, who was kind, despite his own unfortunate situation.

But now, he had killed so many people... Nearly a hundred cultivators had died at his hands, as he had paved a ruthless way through them to get to their Clan Leaders.

'To what extent did they push you, that you became like this?'

"Young Master Shuǐ. Surely, after sealing my spirit power, taking all my talismans, and even tieing me like this with spirit binding ropes, you do not need to watch me so closely."

Shuǐ ChénLín was a bit surprised. "You remember me?"

"Even if I didn't, wouldn't the Shuǐ hair accessory and that necklace, give you away?" LanFen asked.

There was a brief silence, before Shuǐ ChénLín spoke.

"It's good that you know who we are. We don't mean you any harm. We were instructed to capture you, because you committed a crime against the Wulin."

LanFen sighed. "Young Master Shuǐ, have you come to state the obvious?"

Shuǐ ChénLín was a bit surprised at the hint of coldness he felt from Zhao LanFeng.

Their encounter as children had been rather pleasant and friendly, and he didn't recall doing anything offensive to Zhao LanFeng.

But there was undoubtedly a frosty edge to Zhao LanFeng's tone, and in fact, he had seemed friendlier when they had fought in the resturant...

When neither knew who the other was.

Shuǐ ChénLín sighed at the silent, black-veiled figure. "I am curious. What was it that made you do something like this? I don't sense even the least bit of remorse from you."

"Wouldn't that be because I'm an evil person that is not 'the least bit' remorseful?" She instantly replied, but she knew that wasn't exactly true.

LanFen hadn't been in her complete senses, when she had attacked both clans, so the unfortunate people who had merely been performing their duties of protecting their masters, had fallen in her madness.

She had regretted it afterwards, had been plagued by sleepless nights, but that wouldn't bring any of them back.

Shuǐ ChénLín's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Allow me... If you are so evil, then why did you spare Lord Meng, Lu Xian and the disciples, when we came to capture you?"

If Zhao LanFeng was really evil, things wouldn't have gone so easily.

Behind the veil, Lanfen scoffed. "'Once bitten, twice shy'. Young Master Shuǐ, you don't assume I'm still that ignorant child, do you?

"Back then, I carelessly misspoke in your presence, and a few days after, our dear little master Mao came to find me. I won't forget the beating I received, for daring to 'gossip about his affairs' with you."

Shuǐ ChénLín's eyes had widened slightly. After what happened back then, Zhao Mao still -!

LanFen scoffed, misreading his surprised expression. "Tch! I even got accused of 'shaming the Zhao Clan', and for 'amusing you with embarassing tales'. If I say anything here now, who knows which Clan Leader will hear it later? Stop trying to pick my mind, and just go away."

Shuǐ ChénLín sighed after sometime, watching the gentle swaying of the black veil.

'Turns out Zhao LanFeng somehow misunderstood what happened back then.' Shuǐ ChénLín thought, and he didn't have to look too far, to know the cause of the misunderstanding.

In a way, Zhao LanFeng was right to blame him... It was his own fault for trusting the word of a person like Zhao Mao... 

But rather than make things clear, he just shook his head and turned to leave.

"I won't bother you any longer. Besides, no matter what you tell me, things are already at a point where I can't do anything about your fate."

And with that, he gracefully leapt of the deck, taking a few steps in the air, before floating back down to the deck of his own boat.

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The days somehow managed to be both shorter and longer than LanFen thought.

Time seemed to pass slowly when she was alone, her thoughts journeying to places she would rather avoid.

However, excluding those quiet times, or the few times Elder Xu came out to nag in her ear, the boat ride could actually be considered enjoyable.

This was usually because the disciples milled around quite often, arguing, or discussing some mundane topic or the other amongst themselves.

Before long, she knew who liked who, who secretly liked who, that Jade city had a beauty ranking system with five beauties at the top, that Fènghuáng-Jun had a fierce temper, that master Lu and Fènghuáng-Jun had been friends since they could walk....

There was no end to it, but she liked listening to them, often laughing or marveling at their innocence and absence of any serious worry.

She particularly liked when one of the disciples, who she had identified as the Head Disciple, Shuǐ JunHo, threw a snide or sarcastic statement, directed at Meng ZhuGuo, who then proceeded to chase him round the small boat, and still not manage to catch him!

"Ahahahahaha!" LanFen laughed and laughed the first time, as Meng ZhuGuo settled back down after a tiring, futile chase.

"You dare call yourself a cultivator?! Letting a young opponent evade you on such a small boat! Isn't this the same as 'letting the steamed duck fly away'?!"

That reduced the disciples present to more laughter, and Meng ZhuGuo to a string of colourful cursing!

After that, LanFen's constant, uproarious laughter at all his antics made Shuǐ JunHo begin to act a little nicer toward her, and made Meng ZhuGuo eye her with even more disdain.

The female disciple on their own boat, Shuǐ ChunJu, another cousin of Shuǐ ChénLín, always kept her distance, but LanFen often caught her staring at her with a mix of curiosity and admiration, much to the annoyance of the second female cultivator, who eyed her martial sister with envy from the other boat, for being on the same boat with the 'handsome sage' on it.

All in all, the disciples were a pleasant distraction and time seemed to pass quickly.

On the morning of the fifth day, almost eight days after they had left Camellia City, the boats were docked at a crowded port that wasn't much different from Camellia City's own port.

They had reached the Capital of the Western region.

Jade City.