On the rippling green waters of the river.
Lu Yu suddenly felt the urge to write an article.
"Before my eyes are two boats, one called 'Qingchuan,' and the other also called 'Qingchuan.'"
"Inside Qingchuan are two women… one is named Qiao, and the other is also named Qiao."
This style of writing, profound and inscrutable…
It's simply destined for greatness!
…
The Qingchuan docked, and after disembarking from Da Qiao's boat, Lu Yu slightly regained his composure, then quickly boarded the boat on the right, Xiao Qiao's vessel.
Before he left, Da Qiao had cheered him on.
Sisters in spirit… this kind of camaraderie surpasses even that of best friends.
When there are good things, naturally, they must be shared!
On the Qingchuan to the right…
A woman slowly emerged, still wearing a thick straw cape, exuding an air of mystery.
It must be said, even beneath the straw cape, Xiao Qiao's exceptionally "deadly" slender waist was gracefully displayed, causing Lu Yu, whose body was already feeling weak, to become invigorated once more.
Crimson clouds bloomed amidst the flowing clouds, and clear cloud layers billowed near the river's heart.
It seemed as though… a soft chant was being sung, or perhaps it was the chirping of birds.
Once… the boat came to a stable stop.
The woman retreated into the boat's canopy, shedding the thick straw cape, revealing a face with a serene smile.
Of course, within the smile, strands of melancholy could not be missed, akin to a woman who had spent years in the cold palace seeing the emperor for the first time, exuding anticipation and resentment everywhere.
She longed to tear open the emperor's robes instantly and release the pent-up grievances in her heart…
It was precisely this unique temperament that significantly enhanced the woman's charm.
Lu Yu's gaze lingered on her…
Finally, his eyes couldn't help but rest upon the willow waist bound by a green sash, gazing at that perfectly graspable waist, all Lu Yu's eyes could reflect was "astonishment," and still "astonishment"!
She was too captivating; even a green snake transforming into human form wouldn't be this way!
It could be said…
Among all the women Lu Yu had encountered, Sister Zhao Ji was the most intellectual, her words exuding a scholarly aura that was refreshing. Cao Mu was the most voluptuous, possessing a charm and allure in this era that was infinitely close to "imperial" dimensions!
As for Da Qiao… the most memorable were her slender, fair…
Legs that always made Lu Yu's gaze linger!
However.
The woman in the boat's canopy before him probably had the most slender and delicate waist among all women.
The phrase "perfectly graspable" was somewhat cliché, but… it couldn't be denied that these four words seemed tailor-made for her.
"Staring blankly?"
"Didn't you even notice… my clothes?"
Just as Lu Yu was marveling at the bounty of creation, Xiao Qiao spoke, her tone crisp and straightforward, a stark contrast to Da Qiao's personality in this regard.
Da Qiao was more reserved, while Xiao Qiao was more like a stubborn tomboy, speaking whatever came to mind.
"Clothes?"
Prompted by Xiao Qiao, Lu Yu finally noticed that she was wearing a pink dress, which was a departure from her usual green attire. But this dress… Lu Yu seemed to have seen it somewhere before?
This is…
Lu Yu's eyes narrowed.
That's right, this dress… wasn't it the one Da Qiao wore the first time he saw her in the state of Chen?
Why was Xiao Qiao wearing her sister Da Qiao's clothes?
"Why are you wearing your sister's clothes? The accessories are the same? The hairstyle is the same?"
Lu Yu asked first.
Xiao Qiao smiled sweetly. "I heard the storytellers in the taverns say that men like excitement, don't they? Since Young Master Lu boarded your sister's boat first, then I'll pretend to be your sister again. This way… Young Master Lu will surely find it more exciting!"
Was this…
A reproachful glare within her melancholic gaze?
Lu Yu was stunned… it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Xiao Qiao's calm words directly sent his adrenaline surging.
Who could resist this?
"Cough cough…" Lu Yu began, "Your sister's蛊 poison has been resolved. Now, shouldn't it be your turn to have it resolved?"
"No…"
Lu Yu had expected Xiao Qiao to readily agree, just like Da Qiao, after all, it was about resolving poison. How could she hesitate?
Unexpectedly, Xiao Qiao became stubborn.
"Young Master Lu, why did you choose my sister's boat first and resolve her poison first… Is it possible that I cannot attract Young Master Lu?"
Women, after all, are prone to jealousy…
Matters like "poison resolution" were bound to be contested on a first-come, first-served basis, even between sisters.
Xiao Qiao continued to chatter…
"Uh… that's not it." Lu Yu shook his head helplessly. "When I make a choice, I usually pick the left side; it's a habit…"
He gave a casual excuse.
In reality, any further explanation would be futile.
"Hmph…" With a soft huff of annoyance, Xiao Qiao directly tossed a wooden sword to Lu Yu. "Young Master Lu, how about we spar here in the middle of the lake?"
Uh… Lu Yu blinked. He muttered to himself, "I don't know martial arts!"
However…
It seemed Xiao Qiao didn't either?
"What is this?"
"Let's have a spar," Xiao Qiao smiled sweetly. Indeed, her smile held a hint of shyness, as if she had already anticipated what was about to happen.
Her heart was pounding, and she felt nervous.
And so…
The two truly began their sword spar in the middle of the lake.
Xiao Qiao's combat power was probably only 1, while Lu Yu was slightly stronger, reaching 5…
After just two rounds, Lu Yu had already gripped Xiao Qiao's wrist with his palm…
Tightly, tightly!
Not allowing her to struggle even a bit. Of course…
When sparring, even though their swordsmanship wasn't strong, for the weaker party, sparring was about endurance. The longer Lu Yu could suppress Xiao Qiao's wrist, the longer she would be unable to swing her sword, and her will to resist would gradually fade.
Hoo…
Lu Yu exhaled a long breath. This was his first time sparring like this, and encountering such stubborn resistance had truly made him break out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, he was still more skilled…
"Young Master Lu, let's talk properly!" Xiao Qiao panted slightly. Her hands and feet were held by Lu Yu, making it impossible for her to move.
She could only beg for mercy…
If they continued like this, she would lose.
Lu Yu initially felt pity and a touch of tenderness, and was about to let go. Unexpectedly, Xiao Qiao's resistance intensified again.
As expected…
For a master swordsman, mercy towards the enemy is cruelty towards oneself.
Lu Yu condensed his power in his palm and pushed Xiao Qiao onto the bed with moderate force.
She stumbled and fell onto the bed in the Qingchuan's canopy. She tried to get up to fight again, but unexpectedly… Lu Yu was already upon her, giving her no chance to employ her swordsmanship!
His stern, refined face appeared before Xiao Qiao…
At this moment, Lu Yu's face was expressionless…
It was as if he had transformed into an assassin, a master swordsman. However, this wooden sword was blunted, and their sparring was meant to be a friendly match, stopping at the right point. Rather than a sword, it was more like a long staff.
Xiao Qiao tried to resist a few more times, her struggles too soft and weak. Lu Yu held her shoulder with one hand and her wrists with the other.
The entire swordplay began to attack upwards and downwards, the offensive like a sudden storm, forming a pincer formation. Simultaneously, Lu Yu gazed at her with deep eyes.
This time, Xiao Qiao could only resist with her legs…
In fact…
In Lu Yu's eyes, Xiao Qiao's legwork had a bit of the flavor of the martial arts skill "Deathly Scissor Legs."
…To suppress her, Lu Yu could only respond with a move called "Double Dragons Emerging from the Sea," ah no, to be precise, it was "Kang Long You Hui" from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms!
Xiao Qiao wildly swung her fists, striking Lu Yu's chest… making the most powerless, most feigned resistance!
Indeed, at this moment, she realized she was wrong… terribly wrong. She shouldn't have blamed Lu Yu for going to her sister first.
Sparring swords, how could one end up in such a sorry state from it?
She felt completely drained, after all, for a woman who had never practiced martial arts, her stamina quickly depleted. Even if she wanted to struggle further, it was with a willing but powerless heart!
Moreover… Xiao Qiao?
She was never truly "willing to struggle"! She was just looking for a suitable excuse, a suitable stepping stone.
Just then…
Lu Yu thought of a move. This was a move from the "Zong" sword style of the "Ghost Valley Swordplay" passed down by the Yin Yang school – "Long Hong Guan Ri" (Rainbow Piercing the Sun)!
His entire strength was concentrated on a single point. If the opponent could perform the Daoist swordplay "Xue Hou Chu Qing" (First Love After Snow), it could release even greater power.
However… Xiao Qiao naturally knew nothing of "Xue Hou Chu Qing," and Lu Yu's "Long Hong Guan Ri" was also a clumsy imitation!
Yet, even so, it successfully breached Xiao Qiao's final bastion of defense, a strong barrier formed by sixteen springs and sixteen winters.
At this moment…
It was completely, utterly shattered.
"Lu… Young Master Lu…"
A heart-wrenching pain surged through her entire body… After all, she had been struck by a sword, and she was a delicate woman! How could she endure it?
Xiao Qiao gasped for air, pushing with her hands to struggle, but Lu Yu's large palm caught her again, pinning her hands above her head… This time, she had lost the sword spar, and lost miserably, extremely embarrassingly.
"Since it's a sword spar, then allow me to ruthlessly destroy the flower this time?"
Lu Yu murmured softly…
He didn't intend to prolong this sword spar; after all, defeating a woman was no great feat, nor was it worth boasting about.
He attempted to execute the sword techniques from his memory with his hands—
"Light sword, light sword, heavy sword!"
"Light sword, light sword, heavy sword!"
"Light sword, light sword, heavy sword!"
"Heavy sword, then heavier sword, double the heavy sword!"
Executing these continuous moves, his momentum was like a rainbow piercing the sun, carrying the sound of wind and thunder. As Lu Yu swung his sword, his sword intent grew stronger, and the power of the moves increased. Finally… with a single strike, the sword came, Bloodthirsty—End!
Hoo…
He let out a long breath.
It was over, the contest of swordplay had finally concluded.
Lu Yu's hand landed heavily on Xiao Qiao's hand, their hands clasped tightly!
Xiao Qiao felt as though she had been struck by the continuous swordsmanship… The pain was like reaching the crest of a wave. She had been doted on by her parents since childhood and had never endured such suffering.
Unfamiliar sensations surged wave after wave, like sharp pain, as if she had been pierced by a sword.
There was also a hint of intoxication…
"Lu… Lu Yu…"
This was the first time Xiao Qiao called Lu Yu by his name. Tears streamed down her face, it was unclear whether it was from pain or something else.
"I'm sorry… truly sorry." Lu Yu mumbled. In fact… with the later sword techniques, Lu Yu intended to use the intense heat to help resolve the residual "gu" poison in Xiao Qiao. Of course, the effect was quite good…
However, the actions looked a bit like "ruthlessly destroying the flower."
"You… you're pressing on my hair!" Xiao Qiao said, crying…
After hesitating for a good while, she finally uttered this sentence.
Ah…
Lu Yu quickly lifted his arm, and Xiao Qiao was able to pin up her three thousand strands of black hair, coiling them into two small buns!
It was too inconvenient. If it weren't for her hair…
She… she wouldn't have been defeated so easily, nor would she have conceded so readily.
Looking at the man before her…
Xiao Qiao couldn't help but punch his chest again with her small fist, full of blame.
…
Xiao Qiao's boat had some kind of magic!
Xiao Qiao's waist made Lu Yu feel like he needed to take medicine…
They stayed on this lake…
Until nightfall. During this time… Xiao Qiao was unconvinced, and Lu Yu also wanted to re-examine the residual "gu" poison in her body?
Inevitably, their minds were stirred, and they sparred repeatedly.
After sparring with the upper sword, they sparred with the lower sword…
The lower sword techniques were numerous, and the two seemed to be in a daze, both using what looked like drunken swordplay!
Initially, the two were afraid of harming each other, so they dared not use gold or silver swords, only wooden swords…
But as time went on, their tacit understanding grew, and they took out the silver swords from the boat, swinging them repeatedly. The silver swords were exceptionally dazzling…
Until finally… they achieved unity of man and sword!
The stars adorned the night sky, and the lake was filled with the chirping of insects. If it weren't for… the mosquitoes in the lake becoming more numerous at dusk, they might have continued on the boat, sparring, drinking, and achieving unity of man and sword!
Getting up and lighting the lamp…
Xiao Qiao put on her thick straw cape. This dreamlike Qingchuan journey, under the faint candlelight, returned to the shore.
And on the riverbank…
The river breeze blew…
Da Qiao was still waiting there!
Eagerly awaiting the return of her beloved sister and the man she adored.
Hoo…
"Finally back?"
Seeing the Qingzhou dock… Da Qiao looked at the sky. She had only spent an hour with Young Master Lu, but Xiao Qiao had spent a full six or seven hours. This little girl… wasn't she tired at all?
She murmured to herself…
Da Qiao still hurried to greet them.
And at this moment, Xiao Qiao was clearly swaying as she walked, as if exhausted from sparring. Da Qiao quickly supported Xiao Qiao, saying chidingly, "Young Master Lu is good, but you mustn't be so unrestrained…"
Ah… ah…
When these words reached Lu Yu's ears, they sounded like "Strong wine is good, but don't indulge too much."
"Cough cough…" Lu Yu coughed lightly. To spare Xiao Qiao any embarrassment, he directly changed the topic… "I have an idea. I heard that the Louchuan built in Jiangdong can have three stories built on the ship. Perhaps we in Lujiang can also build such Louchuan!"
Louchuan?
Da Qiao was startled. Why did he suddenly mention Louchuan?
Oh…
Could it be that Young Master Lu was so fascinated by the "river heart" and "Qingchuan" that he wanted to build even larger Louchuan to be Qingchuan?
Was he that addicted?
How could Da Qiao know that it wasn't Louchuan that he was addicted to, but that deadly waist and those alluring legs that made him linger!
However…
Da Qiao's guess wasn't wrong. Qingchuan was a good thing, making people linger, making them infatuated. Of course… if Louchuan could be built, it would almost be equivalent to a yacht from his previous life, wouldn't it?
He hadn't had the chance to enjoy it properly before crossing over, but now… there was still an opportunity.
As people on the internet say…
"Sanya" is just "Sanya!" for the poor.
But for the rich and powerful, it's beaches, yachts, and bikinis!
Similarly, Lujiang was just Lujiang for others, but for Lu Yu, it was Qingzhou, Louchuan, and the two Qiao sisters!
His heart yearned for it…
"Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao… let's go."
"Go? Young Master Lu?" Da Qiao asked doubtfully…
But before the words could escape her lips, she was interrupted by Xiao Qiao.
"Sister? Are you still calling him Young Master Lu?" Xiao Qiao smiled sweetly. After all, six or seven hours, and the postures unlocked, ah no… the knowledge unlocked were different from Da Qiao's one hour.
For instance, Xiao Qiao knew that…
"Sister, we should change our address to 'Lang Jun' for Young Master Lu… From today onwards, we are officially part of the Sining Prefecture!"
That's right…
Just as Xiao Qiao said, Lu Yu did not grant them the status of "maidservants for a secondary wife," but directly promised them the status of "concubine."
After all, with Lu Yu's current status, how difficult would it be to become the principal wife of the Sining Prefecture?
What kind of prominent family would be needed as backing?
In fact, even becoming a "concubine" of the Sining Prefecture wasn't easy… Suitors proposing marriage to Sister Cai Yan were already filling the streets of Xudu!
The threshold of the Sining Prefecture had been trampled flat.
Who wouldn't want to cling to this big tree, Lu Yu?
As for becoming a "concubine" of the Sining Prefecture, first, they needed Lu Yu's consent. Secondly… they still had to pass a test, to get the approval of Lu Yu's sister, Miss Cai Yan of the Sining Prefecture. Both were indispensable!
Of course…
Being able to become Lu Yu's concubine was already a cause for great joy and surprise for the Qiao sisters.
As for Miss Cai Yan's hurdle, they would surely perform well!
…
…
ps: (The next chapter will resume the main storyline)