TGM Vol.1 Chapter 21 – Flower Hairpin Tournament (2)

Chapter 21 – Flower Hairpin Tournament (2)

The next morning, He Danping went to the Peak to arrange the Flower Hairpin Ceremony with her husband.

The children slept until three o’clock in the afternoon, and after breakfast, they took Yu Sifeng out to enjoy the scenery of Shaoyang Mountain.

Shaoyang Mountain has seven peaks, the largest of which is Shaoyang Peak. The Mingxia Cave, where Xuanji was once hidden, is located at Beishanyang Peak in the north. There are rugged rocks and difficult terrain, making it difficult for ordinary people to climb.  Zhenxia Hall, which is in charge of punishment, is also located on Beishanyang Peak and is headed by Elder He Yang.

Among the seven peaks, Xiaoyang Peak is the most beautiful. Although it is not as tall and towering as the other six peaks, it is full of greenery, and the scenery is extremely beautiful. There are often rare and exotic animals. There are more spiritual springs in the back mountains. Golden Kunlun Jade branches and fruits grow around the spring, spreading their fragrance.

The Yuyang Hall, which is under the charge of Chu Yinghong, is located on the Xiao Yang Peak.

The other five peaks are Qingyang, Bingyang, Jiyang, Yueyang and Zhongyang, with five other elders in charge of different halls.

The six peaks and six branches are clustered tightly around the highest peak, Shaoyang Peak, and the sect is solid and methodical. Yu Sifeng strolled around, and couldn’t help but admire from the bottom of his heart and understood why the Shaoyang Sect was the most important of the five sects.

“In the past, Master always said that the time, the location and the harmony of the people are essential. The Shaoyang Sect has all three, no wonder it is famous all over the world,” he said, stumbling over his words.

Linglong, who was on the side, smiled at him, laughing at his weird accent.

Xuanji pulls Linglong back so that she won’t make Yu SiFeng angry.

“Linglong, don’t laugh. Si Feng is not from the Central Plains. It’s great to be able to speak like this. We don’t even understand half of the western dialect.”

Xuanji looked at Yu Sifeng and asked with a smile, “Sifeng, what is Li Ze Palace like? Is it fun?”

When they mentioned his own sect, Yu Sifeng couldn’t help but puff up his chest.

“Lize Palace was built by the sea.” He said, “Although there are not as many branches as in Shaoyang, but in the Palace, everyone is united, just like a family. In front of the palace, facing the sea, a huge white pavilion was built. My brothers and I often climbed up there to look at the sea. Sometimes, we would go down to the sea to catch some strange fish and shrimp.”

His face was full of yearning, as if recalling a beautiful memory, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised.

Linglong clapped her hands and laughed, “That sounds like fun! Sifeng, how about if Xuanji and I go to your palace next time? You catch fresh fish and shrimp and we’ll have a ceremony! Oh, and bring Little Six too!”

Yu Sifeng’s color changed subtly and he shook his head, “No, you can’t. It is forbidden for women to enter Lize Palace.”

Linglong pouted in displeasure, “What a strange rule! I can’t believe there are no female disciples at the Palace.”

Du Minxing interjected from the back, “Lize Palace does not accept female disciples, and I heard that the rules are so strict that ordinary disciples are not allowed to have any contact with women outside the palace. It seems that the Palace Master is a strict and courteous gentleman, and I really admire him.”

“What?” Linglong was unconvinced, “What kind of a gentleman looks down on women? I can’t believe they don’t get married and have kids!”

“Indeed, to enter the palace, is to be forbidden to marry for the rest of one’s life.”

Yu Sifeng’s blunt words stunned the crowd.

Zhong MInyan couldn’t help but say urgently, “Hey, Sifeng! Are you also…?”

He nodded silently and took a subconscious glance at Xuanji, but she was concentrating on the Kunlun Yu Zhi Fruits that she was playing with, as if she was not even listening. His heart was darkened and he felt sorrowful.

Zhong Minyan shouted exaggeratedly, “No wonder you all have to wear masks! Is that the reason? If people see the real face, will they be punished? No way! You’re going to marry the first person you see? Oh God, I…what about me…”

He was so scared his face was yellow. He was the first person to see Sifeng’s face! How can two men get married?

Yu Sifeng glared at him fiercely, “No, this rule! Only…”

It’s just that he is no longer qualified to wear the mask. But he didn’t want them to know, he didn’t want them to worry about him.

He shook his head and smiled, “The first one who sees me, my face, will be my for life, brother. It will be, for the rest of my life, brother.”

Zhong Minyan was moved and held his hand tightly, “Alright! Sifeng, we are good friends and brothers for life!”

Xuanji weakly tugged on Yu Sifeng’s sleeve, pointed at her face and asked in a low voice, “What about me? What about me?”

Linglong pounced on it with a smile, “Yes! And me! We all saw it!”

Zhong Minyan laughed, “That’s the easy part! The four of us are lifelong friends, good…brothers and sisters!”

The crowd laughed for a while, but Du Minxing had already set up a fire near the Spiritual Spring and was roasting a few fish on it. He turned around and called them, “If you have had enough laughs, come and eat!”

When they ran over to the table, they saw three small fishes roasting on the fire, and Zhong Minyan said, “How can this be enough? Big Brother, at least you could have caught two more!”

Du Minxing smiled and said, “I asked you to catch fish just now, but you are all too lazy. Now I don’t eat too much. You can go catch more yourself!”

Linglong patted the gold sword hanging on her waist and wrinkled her nose, “Let’s catch some pheasants and rabbits to show you. Little Six, let’s go!”

Hunting rabbits and pheasants with the Golden Sword? Yu Sifeng shook his head wordlessly and patted her on the shoulder, “Wait, I first, make something.”

In full view of the public, he first broke off a branch from a tree, tested its toughness with his hands, and then pulled out a few thick ox bow strings^[1] from his small leather pouch and tied them securely to it. Then he grabbed a handful of small rocks, loaded them up, pulled them, pointed them at a tree, and loosened his grip.

With a whistling sound, a hole appeared in the tree opposite them. The bark shattered, exposing the snow-white tree trunk inside.

Linglong’s mouth was wide open and she couldn’t close it for a while.

Yu Sifeng handed her the catapult he had made and smiled, “Use this one, it’s more convenient.”

Linglong took it, turned it over and looked at it for a while before she looked up and smiled sweetly at him, saying softly, “Sifeng, you really know a lot of things. Thank you.”

He just smiled and didn’t care. He broke off a few branches himself, sharpened them with a dagger, and shared a handful with the other, going to the forest to hunt for pheasants and rabbits.

“My eyes are falling out!” When Zhong Minyan saw Ling Long following behind Yu Sifeng like a worm, he could not take his eyes off her face, and there was a fire in his heart, “He just made a slingshot! I will too!”

Linglong gave him a blank look, “Go hunt rabbits! So much nonsense!”

Afterwards, she ran to Xuanji’s side in a furtive manner and pulled her in to whisper to her.

“Hey, that Yu Si-feng… is quite a nice guy.

Xuanji was trying to align the stone with the ox bow string and replied, “Yes, Sifeng is a very nice person.”

“You like him too? Linglong raised her eyebrows.

“I like it.”

Xuanji said, but after waiting for a long time, Linglong was still silent. When she looked up, her shoulders were slumped and she looked depressed.

“What’s wrong with you?” She was strange.

Linglong stomped her foot and pouted, “Forget it, I’m not going to steal from you, girl! Just give it to you!”

Xuange hurriedly caught her and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t get it. What do you mean?”

Linglong blushed, feeling embarrassed for a long time, “Just… don’t you like him… I will let you have him…”

Xuanji stared blankly, “I like him, why did you let me have him? I like you and Sixth Brother, too! Will you give yourself up to me…so strange…”

Linglong’s face instantly regained its radiance, giggling and rubbing her head, “You’re such a little girl! Mother was right. You’re a child who’ll never grow up! All right, let’s not talk about it. Let’s go shoot rabbits!”

She dragged Xuanji towards Yu Sifeng, ignoring Zhong Minyan directly behind her, who was so angry that he threw away his slingshot and turned back to sit with his elder brother instead of fooling around with them.

“What’s wrong?” When Du Minxing saw his gloomy look, he thought the rabbit hunt was not going well.

“Nothing! I’m not welcome anyway!” He said icily, while adding sticks to the fire.

Du Minxing just took it as a quarrel between a few people and didn’t take it seriously, so he gave him a fish and they ate it together.

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[1]: Bow strings made out of Ox tendons.