23. The Martial World (4)

Within the small building in Jiangnan, countless beautiful flowers were in full bloom, a riot of vibrant colors. Hibiscus, Chinese roses, morning glories, silk trees—they were all there in a thousand different poses, each more breathtaking than the last. Hua Manlou wore a gentle smile as he tended to them. His eyes shone with a clear light, like a mirror wiped clean of dust. He had nurtured these flowers for many years; previously, he could only imagine their beauty through touch, but now, finally able to see them, he realized they were even more exquisite than he had ever dreamed. He loved this world even more than before.

He paused when he reached the pot of Night-Blooming Orchids, falling into a daze. Just then, a cheerful voice rang out from afar: "Hua Manlou! I heard your eyes are healed?"

A figure flew into the building, a bright red cloak fluttering behind him like the tail feathers of a phoenix. A handsome man appeared before Hua Manlou, his face lit with a smile that was carefree, unrestrained, and dashing, carrying a unique, magnetic charm.

Hua Manlou laughed. "Lu Xiaofeng, so this is what you look like."

Lu Xiaofeng was overjoyed. "You really can see!"

The two went upstairs, chatting as they shared a drink. Hua Manlou recounted his experiences over the past period. The Divine Physician, who claimed she would never treat the living, had turned away piles of priceless gifts. She was eccentric, demanding that Hua Manlou lose one thing. Lu Xiaofeng looked him up and down, unable to discern what he could have possibly lost. Could she have asked for some material possession? But had she not looked upon gold and jewels with disdain?

Curious beyond measure, Lu Xiaofeng asked, "What did she make you lose?"

Hua Manlou was silent for a moment before saying, "She demanded that I never see him again."

Lu Xiaofeng let out a surprised "Ah?" From his friend's description, he could tell that Hua Manlou had feelings for the physician. Yet, she had set such a ruthless price. Such a person was truly temperamental and unfathomable—a total enigma. Having wandered the pugilistic world for years, Lu Xiaofeng had seen all sorts of people, but never one so uniquely defiant of convention. He was intensely curious about her. By comparison, everyone else in the world seemed dull and uninteresting.

"I found something she has long desired," Hua Manlou said. "I would like you to help me deliver it to her." Her whereabouts were a mystery, and he figured only Lu Xiaofeng could find her. After all, Lu Xiaofeng loved solving mysteries more than anything.

Lu Xiaofeng accepted the task.

He set out from Mirror Lake, following the clues along the way, only to discover that the Divine Physician had treated many impoverished people. Many martial artists suffering from internal injuries had knelt outside her bamboo forest, begging for help until they died, yet she had ignored them completely. But she would treat the poor without taking a single cent. Was she cold-hearted or kind? How could such a contradictory person exist? He felt he understood her a little better, yet in an instant, even more doubts arose. She could not be judged by conventional logic. The puzzle grew increasingly complex and captivating, firing up Lu Xiaofeng’s competitive spirit; he was impatient to reveal the truth.

Chasing her trail, Lu Xiaofeng arrived at a small town. The moment he entered, he saw white paper everywhere. Every household had hung white lanterns, and the sound of weeping was constant. It seemed a man of great prestige had passed away. Upon inquiry, Lu Xiaofeng learned it was a hero who had retired from the martial world a decade ago. Famous for his "Thunderbolt Palm," he had made a name for himself in his youth. After retiring, he had become a wealthy man, often distributing porridge to the poor in town. Yet, such a charitable man had died overnight. His family had reported the matter to the authorities, claiming a beautiful female physician had killed him. Half a month prior, he had welcomed her into his home as an honored guest; the day he died, she had vanished.

Lu Xiaofeng was startled. Wasn't this the Divine Physician? Could she really have committed murder? Thinking of the poor she had treated, he immediately dismissed the thought. With the authorities issuing a warrant, Lu Xiaofeng could not sit idly by. He decided to solve the case.

He examined the corpse and found a piercing wound in the throat, seemingly caused by a sharp blade. There were no other marks; it appeared to be a single, fatal blow. What a fast sword! He then inspected the scene—a grove where the ground bore the marks of a body falling. A few steps away stood a tree with blood splattered on it and a deep indentation, likely caused by sword energy. To pierce a throat and still have enough power left for the energy to travel several steps away—what profound internal strength! Only a few swordsmen in the world were capable of this, and one of them was his friend.

Lu Xiaofeng inquired around town and heard that a swordsman in white had recently visited. After arriving, the man had sought out an inn to burn incense and bathe. Was this not Ximen Chuixue? The case grew more baffling, yet Lu Xiaofeng was in his element. He questioned the family and learned that the victim had retired because of internal injuries; hearing the Divine Physician was in the area, he had invited her to treat him. Under her care, his injuries had gradually improved.

Clearly, it was not the physician who had killed him. She must have left after curing him, and Ximen Chuixue had arrived shortly thereafter. Ximen Chuixue only ventured out four times a year, specifically to temper his sword with the blood of the wicked. If he had struck, it meant the man had been hiding a dark secret. Lu Xiaofeng peeled back the layers to discover the man was a hypocrite whose vast wealth was built on sin. Everything fell into place.

Lu Xiaofeng told the authorities what he had discovered, and the case was dropped. No one would dare trouble Ximen Chuixue, especially for the death of such a villain. Lu Xiaofeng continued his pursuit, finding that the physician was heading north. Passing by Plum Blossom Villa, he could not resist visiting his friend.

The villa was as cold and desolate as ever, with only the chirping of birds echoing through the woods. The swordsman in white received him in a pavilion.

"Did you go to Qingxia Town?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.

"I did," Ximen Chuixue replied.

"What did you go there for?"

Ximen Chuixue uttered only two words: "To kill."

The words were cold and heartless, as if he were speaking of plucking a flower. Perhaps in his eyes, most people in the world were no different from flowers or grass. Such was the world of the strong.

"So it was you who killed him," Lu Xiaofeng said.

Ximen Chuixue suddenly smiled. "What? You think I killed him?"

Lu Xiaofeng was stunned. "Was it not you?"

"I went to kill him, but I did not succeed."

"Did someone kill him before you could?" Lu Xiaofeng asked, feeling as though a cat were clawing at his heart, desperate to know the truth.

"He was still alive when I arrived," Ximen Chuixue said.

"Then why didn't you kill him?" Lu Xiaofeng pressed.

"Someone wouldn't let me," Ximen Chuixue replied. "She said: 'No one may touch my patient until I have finished curing him.'"

"And then?" Lu Xiaofeng urged.

"We fought..."