Love and Crown

Since my progress in marksmanship wasn't obvious and solo practice didn't yield good results, I often found ways to drag Xiao Huan into practicing with me—and he never refused.

The weather grew colder each day. That morning after breakfast, the sky looked overcast as if rain was imminent. While mentally rehearsing the shooting technique I'd conceived the night before, I hurried toward the waterside pavilion, hoping to pull him into the stone chamber before his subordinates arrived with their reports.

After hastily announcing myself and entering, I was surprised not to see Xiao Huan at his desk.

Normally by this time, he'd already be seated there reviewing documents, with a bowl of untouched medicine at hand.

Just as I was thinking this, the cotton curtain of the inner chamber lifted, and Xiao Huan emerged wearing an outer robe. He seemed not to have washed up yet, his dark hair slightly disheveled over his shoulders. He smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I overslept. Please wait a moment."

I bowed with clasped fists, "Take your time, Master."

Nodding with another smile, he withdrew into the inner chamber. Shortly after, he reappeared neatly groomed, his hair tied up with a green jade hairpin. For ease of movement, he wore only a simple blue cotton robe.

I waited for him to open the secret passage entrance and followed him inside. Once in the stone chamber, we began practice without preamble.

"Well," "Trap," "Fellowship," "Great Excess," "Abundance," "Innocence."

Gunshots rang out in rapid succession—all six bullets were either deflected or dodged without exception.

But it wasn't over. Just as the last bullet was deflected by his King Wind, the first bullet that had missed ricocheted off the wall and shot straight toward his back.

It's going to hit! Before I could rejoice, his left hand flicked back and caught the steel pellet firmly between his fingers.

Tossing the pellet to the ground, he coughed lightly and smiled, "Well done today."

"Just a little more!" I lamented, punching the air before immediately reloading from my bullet pouch. "Let's go again."

He smiled and continued humoring me.

Perhaps because I glimpsed the possibility of victory, I felt particularly spirited today, performing much better than usual. Yet the outcome remained unchanged—no matter how swift or clever my shots, they never so much as grazed his clothes.

After another round of shooting, I wiped away sweat I hadn't noticed forming and prepared to continue.

Unlike his usual willingness to keep practicing, this time Xiao Huan waved away the gunpowder smoke before his face, coughing several times. "Let's stop here today. I have other matters."

Having just conceived a new shooting sequence, I hurriedly said, "Master, one more time—just once more."

Frowning slightly, he smiled, "Tomorrow." As he spoke, he turned toward the exit.

His left foot landed precisely where I'd first envisioned—if I fired now, this sequence could achieve near-perfect execution within the stone chamber.

The fleeting opportunity was slipping away as he moved past that position. I shouted, "Xiao Huan!" while raising my gun to aim.

He turned back in surprise as I pulled the trigger, sending the first bullet exactly as planned.

The cold glint of King Wind flashed as the deflected steel pellet flew into the air.The second shot, the third shot—the bullets grazed his cheeks. The jade hairpin atop his head snapped with a clink , and his black hair cascaded down in an instant.

The fourth shot, the fifth shot—the dull, grating hum of King Wind deflecting the steel pellets rang out one after another.

I bent my knees and dodged to the side. At that moment, the first and fourth deflected bullets were rapidly descending in the same direction.

The sixth shot—the final bullet burst from the barrel at the last second, colliding midair with the first bullet. The two bullets, carrying their momentum, struck the fourth bullet just as it was falling.

The three pellets scattered like a Signal Flare in the sky. The sixth and first bullets ricocheted outward, while the fourth shot upward in a straight line.

That was a position my bullets couldn’t reach—a gap in his defense.

In the blink of an eye, his King Wind swiftly swung back. The pellet struck the blade with a sharp, metallic hum. Sparks flashed as he staggered back several steps, his back hitting the stone wall. His disheveled hair veiled his face.

I stood frozen, then took a step forward, the call on my lips about to escape.

His shoulders shifted slightly, and a faint, hesitant cough escaped him. Bracing himself against the wall, he straightened and lifted his head, smiling at the gun in my hand. "Well done. Today... I really can’t go on. Let’s continue tomorrow, alright?"

I nodded and put the gun away.

He smiled, tucking King Wind back into his sleeve, but instead of gathering the loose strands of hair over his shoulders, he pressed a hand to his chest.

He walked ahead, pushing open the door to leave the stone chamber. I blew out the oil lamp, closed the door, and followed.

The passage soon ended. Standing in the waterside pavilion, he shut the hidden door and glanced at the empty room. "After you leave, call Hong Qing over."

I clenched my fists and bowed my head. "Yes."

Stepping out, I immediately whispered to the disciple outside to summon Li Mingshang, then circled around to the side window of the pavilion.

The window was slightly ajar in the early morning to clear the stagnant air. Through the gap, I could see Xiao Huan’s silhouette standing quietly by the desk, his head slightly lowered, completely unaware that I hadn’t left.

A long time passed before he finally moved. Pressing his right hand against the desk, he coughed softly, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Coughing weakly, he took a deep breath and glanced at the small medicine cabinet beside the desk.

As if gauging the distance to the cabinet, he finally released the hand pressed to his chest and used both hands to steady himself against the desk, trying to move toward it.

With great difficulty, he took a step. The desk wobbled under his weight, and the brush washer at the edge lost its balance, crashing to the floor with a clang . Dirty water splashed across half his robes.

The brush rack tilted next, and he finally collapsed heavily to the ground, the rack falling onto him.

A muffled cough escaped uncontrollably. He covered his mouth with his hand, crimson seeping through his fingers.

I rushed around to the front, pushed open the door, and ran to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

Seeing it was me, his gaze flickered briefly. Still covering his mouth as he coughed, he managed weakly, "It’s nothing..."

I didn’t speak, only held him, trying to let him lean against my shoulder. He seemed utterly drained, blood staining his blue robes and mingling with the dirty water.

I wanted to kiss him but forcibly restrained myself, saying instead, "This disciple has already sent for Li Mingshang. Please, Master, regulate your breathing first."He coughed intermittently, blood still trickling from the corner of his lips, sliding down his pale chin.

It was my fault. I had noticed he was forcing himself today, yet I still injured him with the gunshot.

What if he died like this? Holding his cold body, a sudden thought crossed my mind... If that happened, then it would be me who hurt him again, so I should give myself to him. That way, I could go with him, right? No need to stay behind alone.

I could hold back the kisses, but the tears kept flowing, drop by drop falling to the ground, mingling with his blood and the dampness, disappearing without a trace.

Footsteps soon approached outside the waterside pavilion—it was Li Mingshang and Hong Qing.

The moment Hong Qing saw the scene inside, he immediately stepped forward and took Xiao Huan’s body from my arms.

Li Mingshang quickly examined the injuries, then suddenly erupted in anger: "I told you not to recklessly use your True Energy, you brat! Did it go in one ear and out the other? How many lives do you think you have? Because of you, I haven’t dared to wander around freely, guarding your sorry life, worrying every damn day! Just like your bastard father, if you don’t value your life, then go die! See if I’ll stop you!"

Even as he ranted, his hands moved swiftly, applying Pressure Point Strikes and inserting needles: "Call me the ‘Death-Defying Judge’? You’re the one who’s going to kill me! Thirty years I’ve practiced medicine, never lost a patient—are you determined to be the first? Do you want to be the death of me, you ungrateful brat?"

I wiped the tears from my face, took a light breath, and said, "Mr. Li, instead of lecturing, why not focus on saving him?"

At my voice, Li Mingshang finally noticed me and shot me a glance: "This brat’s been teaching you martial arts, hasn’t he?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Xiao Huan, who had been coughing weakly with his eyes closed, opened them and interjected softly, "It was my—"

"I injured him with the gun," I cut him off.

"Little girl," Li Mingshang narrowed his eyes, his tone harsher than ever before, "You’re not completely unaware of this brat’s condition. That shot of yours today damaged his heart meridian. If it had been any worse, even I would only be able to prepare his corpse!"

He stared at me. "I don’t care what kind of quarrel you two had. Even if you were once married, even if he were a complete stranger, you didn’t have to go so far as to kill him!"

I gritted my teeth. "It was unintentional. Mistakes happen during practice—it’s not impossible."

Li Mingshang’s eyes narrowed further, his voice turning icy: "His martial arts surpass yours by more than a margin. Even with a gun, the only way you could hurt him is if you caught him off guard with a trick! Tell me—was today one of those cold days when his poison flares up, and you still shot him?"

I had no defense. Forcing a faint smile, I admitted, "It was."

Hearing this, Li Mingshang stopped inserting needles. With a cold expression, he slammed his palm onto the wooden table beside him, leaving a deep imprint. "Neither of you knows the consequences of your actions! Seems I need to teach you a lesson today—or you’ll never understand where you went wrong!"He seemed to think I had intentionally injured Xiao Huan. Unable to explain myself, I glanced at Xiao Huan lying on the bed, then pulled out a gun, loaded it, and aimed it at my own chest. "Mr. Li, there's no need for trouble. I injured my Master—such disrespect demands repayment. I'll return the favor myself."

Li Mingshang hadn't expected this from me and froze for a moment.

But then my sleeve was suddenly tugged. Xiao Huan, ignoring the silver needles still embedded in his major acupoints, struggled to sit up and grabbed my sleeve urgently, calling out, "Cang Cang!"

Li Mingshang stomped his foot and darted to the bedside, supporting Xiao Huan. Not daring to disturb the needles in his acupoints, he fumed, "You reckless fool! Still moving around like this? Do you really have a death wish?"

"Put the gun down..." Xiao Huan suppressed a cough, sweat trickling down his temples. "Put it down now..."

Li Mingshang was both furious and frantic. "Fine! You protect her! I'm just an old fool meddling in the quarrels of the second most baffling couple in the world! Go ahead and fight—suffocate yourselves to death, and see if that makes you happy!"

Looking at Xiao Huan's hand clutching my sleeve, I forced a weak smile. "I was just making a show of it... I don’t actually want to die..."

Yet he kept staring at me intently until I slowly lowered the gun. Then he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his gaze already unfocused. "No self-harm..."

I reached out and held his shoulders, nodding. "I won’t, Master. Please rest easy."

He tried to say more but coughed up another mouthful of blood. His arm slipped away, and his eyes quietly closed.

"Brother Xiao..." I finally managed to call out, leaning down to gently kiss his bloodstained lips.

My tears fell onto his pale cheeks, dampening his long lashes.

How had we ended up like this?

"Hold him steady. Lay him back on the bed," Li Mingshang's voice came, no longer angry but back to his usual tone.

Nodding, I carefully settled him onto the bed and wiped the blood from his lips with my sleeve.

"You two really..." Li Mingshang left the sentence unfinished as he took out another silver needle and slowly inserted it into an acupoint on Xiao Huan’s chest.

"Don’t blame yourself too much. The state he’s in now is mostly his own doing. Your gunshot just forced his symptoms to surface sooner," Li Mingshang said lazily, no longer looking at me.

I didn’t answer, sitting slowly by the bedside and burying my face in the blankets.

After that, an unending autumn rain began to fall.

Xiao Huan didn’t wake until the next day, still coughing lightly with traces of blood.

Li Mingshang had been right—he had pushed himself too hard for too long, and now his old ailments had flared up, making it difficult for him to recover quickly.

The weather was cold and damp, but the main hall of Phoenix Come Pavilion remained bustling.

As autumn set in, a major event shook the Martial World. The Tianshan Sect, located in the northern frontier and usually uninvolved in Central Plains affairs, had for some reason issued a proclamation to all major sects, declaring their intent to unify the Martial World and demanding submission.

They then annexed the Qilian Sword Sect and Kunlun Sword Sect, killing both sect leaders.

This left the Central Plains Martial World no choice but to act. The highly respected leaders of Shaolin and Wudang called upon all sects to join forces and retaliate against Tianshan Sect, seeking justice for Qilian and Kunlun.Phoenix Come Pavilion was one of the first among the nine major sects to receive the call to arms, immediately dispatching Mu Yan along with the leaders of Chariot Water Hall and Well Wood Hall, along with half their disciples to join the campaign.

Xiao Huan had been bedridden recovering from his injuries, and with Mu Yan away, Su Qian was the only remaining hall master left at headquarters.

With manpower stretched thin, she had me assist with some affairs.

After going out on several missions with Su Qian, my name actually began gaining renown in the Martial World.

I was somewhat surprised. Though Xiao Huan hadn't taught me any specific techniques these past months, he seemed to have integrated all the martial principles he'd mastered into my daily training. On these recent outings, I'd been able to defeat several seemingly formidable gang leaders with relative ease.

Watching me disarm a salt gang leader with a single spear thrust, Su Qian sighed and said, "To be honest, I wouldn't dare face you casually now."

I smiled, feeling somewhat pleased. After all, Su Qian's skill with hidden weapons was virtually unmatched in the Martial World. For someone of her caliber to say that—it would be dishonest to claim I wasn't a little smug.

I chuckled. "Just a good Master."

Su Qian smiled faintly. "Indeed. Many of the Martial World's greatest masters spend their lives hoping for just one chance to cross blades with Bai Chi Fan. Yet you've been sparring with him day and night for months."

I could only laugh and twirl my spear in response.

Another half month passed in the blink of an eye. By the time the continuous overcast rains finally ceased, winter was nearly upon us.

On the day of Winter Solstice, the weather grew even colder, with everyone's breath visible in white puffs. I received an urgent letter from Xiao Qianqing.

When matters arose in the capital, Xiao Qianqing usually made a show of notifying me while really just coming to loiter about. This was the first time he'd sent a letter.

Opening it, I found it simply stated there was urgent business requiring my immediate return to the capital.

Pocketing the letter, I considered that this trip might take an unknown amount of time—I ought to inform Xiao Huan.

Having been busy with Su Qian lately, I hadn't visited One Water Courtyard often. It had been several days since I last entered the waterside pavilion when reporting affairs with Su Qian. Pausing briefly outside the door now, I finally stepped in.

The guards had already announced me, but the pavilion's outer doors and windows were now covered with thick cotton curtains, sealing the room airtight. I couldn't tell if Xiao Huan had heard my arrival inside.

Upon entering, the heavy scent of medicine greeted me. Standing in the outer chamber listening, I heard no movement from within. Hesitating a moment, I lifted the leather curtain to the inner chamber and looked inside.

The waterside pavilion was well-lit—even with all windows curtained, the room wasn't dark. Stepping quietly past the white jade screen at the entrance, I saw Xiao Huan reclining against the headboard.

His eyes were closed, head slightly tilted against the rosewood bed frame, long hair gathered to one side where some strands fell haphazardly across his chest. An open scroll rested on his slightly bent knees.

One hand lay atop the document while the other had slipped from the white fox fur draped over his shoulders, dangling beside the bed.

In the cold daylight, that hand appeared pale and fragile, its edges seeming to dissolve into the air. Pale blue veins stood out faintly on its back, and in the utter silence, one could almost hear blood flowing through those vessels to his fingertips.He must have been tired from reading the documents and dozed off leaning against the head of the bed without realizing it. Yet he had fallen into such a deep sleep that even the commotion outside his door and someone standing by his bedside hadn’t woken him.

I stood at the doorway, silent and unmoving.

His breathing was so faint that one wouldn’t notice it without listening carefully. The rise and fall of his chest was so slight that in the dim, cold light, he resembled a motionless statue.

Time passed quietly. The shadow cast by the tassels on the bed canopy over his face seemed to lengthen slightly, and a numb chill slowly crept up from my feet. Finally, I saw him frown lightly, then lift the hand resting on the book to press against his chest as he coughed a few times, his lashes fluttering faintly.

I took a quiet breath and stepped forward cautiously. "Master."

The book on his lap fell to the floor with a soft thud. He opened his eyes in a daze, furrowing his brows as if struggling to focus on me before smiling. "Cang Cang? I must have dozed off. Have you been here long?"

I shook my head. "Not too long."

He coughed lightly and smiled. "Is there something you need?"

Lowering my head, I said, "I came to bid you farewell, Master. There are some matters at home that require my immediate return."

Pressing a hand to his chest, he coughed again, speaking with difficulty. "I see... Go quickly and return soon."

Clenching my fists, I held back for a moment before finally walking over and kneeling beside the bed to look at him.

He seemed slightly taken aback before asking, "What is it?"

I forced a smile. "Master... you don’t look well. I hope when I return, I’ll see you fully recovered."

He coughed softly and smiled. "Thank you."

This was fine... He was just my Master, and I only needed to treat him as a teacher should.

Yet my eyes still stung. I stood and clasped my fists. "Then I’ll take my leave."

He lifted his gaze to me, nodding with a faint smile. "Very well. You may go."

My hands remained frozen mid-gesture, words suddenly failing me. I saw his eyes clearly now—eyes tinged with the color of death.

Xiao Huan’s eyes had always been bright. Unusually dark, they were also unusually luminous. I often thought his eyes resembled the night sky—deep and radiant, brimming with a brilliance so vivid it seemed to overflow, yet strangely without any hint of garishness.

But now, his eyes had lost their light, like a gloomy sky stripped of stars, leaving only an eerie darkness—hollow, endless, and silent as death.

He was looking at me, but I suddenly couldn’t be sure if he truly saw me. Could eyes so lifeless, so alien to this world, still reflect its myriad forms?

In the prolonged silence, he frowned slightly, sounding puzzled. "Cang—"

"Your eyes... what’s wrong with them?" I took another step forward, blurting out.

His pupils shifted slightly with my movement, still confused. "My eyes?"

"Master’s eyes... they look so strange, so dark," I said, forcing a relieved smile.

"This?" He chuckled in realization. "My eyes have always been darker than most. Perhaps it looks a bit odd.""I see," I smiled and cupped my hands together again. "This disciple takes his leave."

He nodded with a smile. As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of him slightly bending over on the bed, trying to pick up the scroll on the floor with his hand hanging by the bedside. His hand seemed stiff from poor circulation, failing to reach the scroll after several attempts. Suddenly, it spasmed, and he pressed the trembling arm with his other hand, leaning somewhat awkwardly against the edge of the bed.

I turned back and walked over, picking up the book scroll from the ground. It was a Records resembling geographical records. The page I opened was densely covered with drawings of mountains and rivers. I placed the book on his lap and smiled, saying, "Master should not overexert yourself. You should rest more."

He took the book and smiled, replying, "Thank you for your concern."

I smiled in return. "As your disciple, it's my duty." With that, I cupped my hands respectfully and withdrew.