Zhan Zhao Adventures - Chapter Eight (Part I)

Chapter Eight: Vainly Knitting Brows (Part I)

"Quickly flash aside and get out of the way!"
 
A single immature yet clear and bright voice sounded up, inside the voice it was filled with anxiety.
 
Huo Linglong's heart suddenly sank down. A strand of difficult-to-describe freezing coldness, immediately within an instant was identical to this river water which was blown thoroughly by the wind, letting her without cause feel a bone-piercing cold.
 
Pressure, precisely from that person upon the stretcher's body transmitted over; this pressure, within a flash of an instant then enveloped her entire body, ordering her for not knowing why to then be unable to pant out a breath of air.
 
Within the boundless rain mist, at the side of the ancient and old blue-stone river bank, there suddenly flew up a single strand of faint red-colored palm silhouette.
 
That palm silhouette was soft and gentle; in the looking of ordinary people's eyes, it just appeared as if it were a Buddha within the clouds, precisely nipping a flower and micro-smiling. It was merely that this micro-smiling eye of heaven above and earth below, suddenly then transformed into the ferocious visage of a Rakshasa, identical-wise to covering the sky and sheeting the earth, everywhere all was the viciousness, evil, and ferocity inside this Rakshasa's eye.
 
The person who sent out this single palm, had already been unable to bear micro-smiling. This already was a single palm that was avoidable without a place to avoid, this already was a single palm that from the beginning never fell onto empty space.
 
But Huo Linglong unexpectedly was able to avoid and flash away!
 
Her body, along with that clear and bright voice, within the faint red palm silhouette, had already turned soft, had turned hazy and misty.
 
That sky-filling Rakshasa's eye, in the final result did not manage to stare onto her body: that silhouette of hers beneath the "frightened swan's single glance" was already outside of ten-odd zhang.
 
The person who launched the surprise attack had already not believed his own eyes: how could this additionally be possible!
 
For a time, Huo Linglong's face color, within the sparse and hazy rain mist, appeared as if it had already become blurred and unclear, only possessing that pair of snow-white rabbit teeth, still faintly flashing bright.
 
But her voice, however, through the rain mist, transmitted over; inside that voice suddenly there possessed a kind of heaviness.
 
"The Shangqing Temple's 'Great Compassion Palm'?"
 
"That which you use unexpectedly is the Great Compassion Palm?"
 
The "he" upon the stretcher had already stood up. Having heard these words of hers, the body unexpectedly slightly gave a single sway. Within a flash of an instant, "his" gaze then flashed bright identical to a sharp sword, piercing thoroughly through this boundless and borderless rain mist, straightly piercing to the bottom of her heart.
 
This person, although possessing a face identical to him, was however not he.
 
How could the him she was accustomed to looking at possess such a pair of eyes?
——These few days, Huo Linglong had already seen various and sundry kinds of eyes.
 
The Sun-Wielding Envoy's eyes were identical to a dead person, without possessing any expression. The Moon-Wielding Envoy's eyes however were charming and beautiful as if wanting to drip out water. Chang Hongbi's eyes at one time were guard and fatigue, but were however filled with intense passion. Inside Shao Jizu's eyes, then eternally was the contradiction of ice and fire.
 
That which Tang Tianhao possessed, was a pair of proud eyes born along with the Tang Sect. And the eyes of this person before her face, although growing upon a face carved exactly identical to Zhan Zhao, yet appeared to be playful with the world and unbefitting of customs over the top, crafty and agile over the top; however, beneath this appearance that was "shrewd" to the home, it again appeared as if there possessed a thread of bleakness and chill.
 
It was only that, no one was able to possess that single pair of eyes of Zhan Zhao.
——Those were eyes black as the stars of a dark night, restraining and gathering magnificent splendor, yet never piercing people. Even if being deep to where they were able to look thoroughly through the secrets of the bottom of people's hearts, they yet eternally possessed understanding and tolerance.
——Could it be that this precisely was the reason why the "he" upon the stretcher all along tightly closed his pair of eyes?
 
Huo Linglong had already known who this person opposite her was. Her heart at once then jumped to where she could not pant out a breath of air. Her voice was also unspeakably hoarse: "The Thousand Transformations Black Demon Fox? You are Zhi Hua?"
 
Within the micro-rain, a pair of swallows flew dividedly and jumbledly at the river bank. Black colored feathered wings, highly and lowly from time to time cut open the lost and blind within the rain mist.
 
The freezing cold wind blew to where the yellow gown upon Huo Linglong's body, single-sway and single-sway-wise reflected the river water's scaly-scaly light.
 
The "he" opposite had already turned his body past, a single light sigh had already sounded up: "If it were not that someone pre-warned, pointed out, and broke it open, how again could you dodge past this single formula of 'Buddha Dharma Boundless'?"
 
Having spoken out this sentence of words, it already was in the middle of straightly inheriting and admitting "his" identity.
 
Waiting for "him" to turn his body over, "he" had already long since not been he!
 
Huo Linglong's entire body was already like the wind within this rain identical-wise freezing cold, the heavily-moving heart was already like this rain mist, by this pair of double-flying swallows, cut broken and cut tangled.
 
Although it was expected that "he" was not he, but however still she was unable to bear this blow.
——The face of "him" before her face, of course had already long since not been Zhan Zhao's face.
 
The person before her face possessed a wise and peaceful face. That was a face that although already was no longer young, yet still was filled with male charismatic attraction.
 
This face, if it were upon the great street, when being seen for the first glance by another person, no matter who it was also was unable to divide and separate it apart from ordinary people's faces. But however if one were to additionally look for a second glance, one again would feel that this face was how significantly different from the crowd.
——This was Zhi Hua's face.
 
The Thousand Transformations Black Demon Fox, originally precisely upon the martial forest seldom showed true traces.
——Could it be that this was his original face and features?
 
Huo Linglong had already been unable to believe: "How can it be you? Why is your martial arts not identical? That day outside the small woods of the Little Hammer Mountain, the person I saw being together along with the five brothers of the Flower Wind Child, could it be it was not you?"
 
Zhi Hua however contained a smile and did not answer. His gaze had already long since turned toward someone else.
——That person who sent out the pre-warning sound.
 
Beside the ancient and old ferry port, beside the small river, within the grass clumps there had already appeared a pair of young youth and young girl. Only now did Huo Linglong discover, they unexpectedly were that pair of older sister and younger brother met with yesterday inside the small shop of the post station. She herself all along had her mind and spirit unsettled, and unexpectedly had not realized that the far-away grass clumps hid other people.
 
Beneath Zhi Hua's gaze, that boy unexpectedly was completely without fear. He with both hands crossing his waist, angrily bellowed and said: "Who in the final result are you, to unexpectedly dare to falsely assume the identity of my family's Third Young Master?"
 
Huo Linglong again gave a blank start.
——Originally that "Third Young Master" mentioned from time to time within this boy's mouth precisely was Zhan Zhao. Could it be that this pair of older sister and younger brother truly were servants from inside Zhan Zhao's manor?
 
Zhi Hua had already "ge-ge"-wise laughed up.
 
"You of a tiny little age, unexpectedly are able to look thoroughly and break open my appearance-changing art; upon the present-day martial forest, you are the first person. Where in the final result did I expose a flaw?"
 
The boy said: "What kind of a hero is my family's Third Young Master; except for some open-eyed blind people, no matter how formidable of an appearance-changing art you are, how again can you imitate and suffice his heroic spirit and bearing, and how again can you hide past us?"
 
Zhi Hua looked at him, and said: "Who again are you people?"
 
The boy said: "I am precisely the famous 'Ghosts See and Ghosts Worry' Ming Zhu'er inside the Dongjing City. This is my older sister Ming Yue'er."
 
Zhi Hua gave a cold laugh and said: "Originally it is you! I also have long loftily looked up to you being a number-one character inside the capital city, and along with Zhao Zhi'er of the Southern Pure Palace's Little Zhao Prince's family are a pair of macaques. One claims the name of 'Gods See and Gods Fear', one claims the name of 'Ghosts See and Ghosts Worry', straightly-wise are a pair of difficult-to-tangle and difficult-to-provoke ghost-monsters and smart-spirits. Today with a single view, fruitfully and truly the name is not falsely spread. Hearing people say the friendship of the Little Zhao Prince and Zhan Zhao is not shallow, unexpectedly even the small servants beneath the hand also have tastes and humors matching each other. This conversely truly is strange."
 
Ming Zhu'er said: "If you want to deceive past me, one is afraid it is not so easy! This place is separated from the Xiangyang mansion by several days' road journey; if my family's Third Young Master fell inside your hands, where could he within a single day then hurry to here." Speaking to here, he gave a single glance-glance at Huo Linglong, and additionally said: "Since he cannot hurry to here, who knows whether what is upon your stretcher is a fake-made goods or what."
 
Zhi Hua unexpectedly let out a single sigh-sound, and said: "Of a tiny little age, to then possess such talent and wisdom, unexpected that even inside Zhan Zhao's home, there also can be a hidden dragon and crouching tiger."
 
Ming Zhu'er did not manage him, saying: "What in the final result have you people done to my family's Third Young Master?"
 
Zhi Hua swept a single glance at Huo Linglong who was still of her own accord blankly and mutely not speaking, and again was within a cold laugh.
 
"What about him, naturally at present he has already arrived inside the Prince of Xiangyang's mansion."
 
This light-sketching and faint-writing single turn of words, however had already been identical to a awl, at once then piercing and breaking open Linglong's heart.
 
Her heart breaking, was because of that person who had deceived her. The heart having already broken, why did she additionally still howsoever not believe that what she heard was true?
——"Originally, originally, he still deceived me. Little Shao, he unexpectedly could deceive me!" Her words, having reached the afterwards, unexpectedly were unspeakable heartbreak.
 
Inside Zhi Hua's gaze there however was irony and cruelty. He in a slow and unhurried manner said: "Women all along assume that they are able to play and sport with men within the palm and shares; occasionally being by a man deceived for a single turn, what again is rare, strange, or excessive? Since you so treated him, why can he not deceive you for one time?"
 
Huo Linglong muttered: "You, you unexpectedly also know?"
 
Zhi Hua coldly said: "I additionally am not a blind person; his friendship and intent toward you, even a blind person also can look out. This present appearance and look of his, apart from you being sorry toward him, what additionally can it be?"
 
Huo Linglong bit her teeth and said: "I know he hates me, but I howsoever also cannot believe, that he would dispatch you to come kill me!"
 
Zhi Hua unexpectedly did not deny. He looked at her, word by word saying down: "Not bad. Even if he additionally hates you, how can he again bear to kill you. He by thousands of directions and tens of thousands of methods wants to obtain your Huo family's Linglong Eye; if you die, he however does not know to additionally wait until what time, only then can it wheel to the birth of the next generation's Huo family's eldest daughter. Even if he can wait up, one is afraid the Prince of Xiangyang additionally cannot wait up!"
 
Huo Linglong's heart had already sunk down.
——Her heart being tangled, was not because of the Linglong Eye spoken of by Zhi Hua, but rather was because Zhi Hua's words listened up to were very strange.
——Was he himself not also serving inside the Jinshi Hall of the Prince of Xiangyang's mansion, was the Prince of Xiangyang not also his master, why did he use this kind of tone to discuss his master?
 
Huo Linglong said: "I fruitfully and truly have not looked mistakenly. But why do you want to tell me these? Why again should I believe your words?"
 
Zhi Hua faintly smiled and said: "Believing or not believing my words, naturally follows and is up to you. To speak true facts without hiding, although I am inside the Jinshi Hall, the Prince of Xiangyang is however not my master."
 
Ming Zhu'er could not bear to say: "Then who in the final result is your master?"
 
Zhi Hua already did not want to answer. His mouth suddenly then closed tightly and firmly, thereby causing his lip that was filled with male charismatic attraction to possess a difficult-to-describe fortitude and resolution.
 
At this time, a soft and gentle voice had already within the faint rain mist sounded up: "Zhu'er, you additionally do not need to guess. Who his master is, in truth is fundamentally not important. But what his master wants to destroy and ruin, is however this Linglong Eye of the Huo family that is able to spy and look into the future."
 
Huo Linglong's body gave a single shock!
 
Zhi Hua's gaze, within one click of an instant turned to where it was difficult to speak out-wise complex.
 
That young girl of faint purple clothing lapel, Ming Yue'er, just so stood there person-faint-as-a-chrysanthemum-wise, purely, clearly, and elegantly, but however these two sentences of hers were identical to a knife, at once then cutting into his heart.
 
The young girl connectedly said: "Only because this master of his, knows that once the Prince of Xiangyang possesses the Linglong Eye, he then will be able to spy and observe the future's ending; inside this, naturally not only possesses his own great enterprise, but additionally possesses other people's secrets. This master of his, naturally is unwilling for his own secrets and handles to fall inside the hands of the Prince."
 
Inside Zhi Hua's eyes that portion of playing with the world and unbefitting of customs finally disappeared. He death-point-wise stared onto her, and said: "Who in the final result are you? That Zhan Zhao is no more than a fourth-rank sword-bearing guard; inside his manor, how can there possess a servant-person like you?"
 
The young girl still was gentle-wise micro-smiling, and said: "Master Zhi truly is too much praising. The small female Ming Yue'er, along with this younger brother of mine, both have deeply received my family's Third Young Master's great grace; to be able to obtain to serve the Third Young Master, already is our immense blessed portion. Contrarily, one who is intelligent and wise like Master Zhi, also can sell his body to your master, being by your family's master dispatched to the Prince of Xiangyang's mansion, presumably it must be long since wanting to store up mind and calculate thoughts, to seek an opportunity to destroy and ruin this portion of dowry of the Huo family."
 
These four words "store up mind and calculate thoughts" of hers once exiting the mouth, Huo Linglong without cause struck a single cold shudder. For a time, various and sundry kinds of thoughts and threads were just like flying and scattering fallen flowers, making lost and blurred her eye, her heart. She appeared as if she had thought onto something, yet for a time howsoever could not speak clearly what in the final result it was.
 
Following, those four words "Great Compassion Palm", then suddenly jumped onto her heart.
——"That which you so store up mind and calculate thoughts to want to ruin, one is afraid is not merely the Huo family of the Linglong Mountain Villa, one is afraid there additionally is the Shangqing Temple, is there or is there not? Otherwise why must you go to stealthily learn this Great Compassion Palm?"
 
These words from inside her cherry lips faintly were spat out, but let a thread of pain and hatred flash past inside Zhi Hua's eyes. This half-Daoist half-Buddhist temple's name, as if suddenly then snatched away his breathing.