The Journey of Flower - Chapter 133
– Spending time together
In the early autumn brings the bright blue sky, the afternoon sun shines brightly but not dazzling to the eyes at atll.
The Cloud Mountain is very high and huge, stretches for ten miles. The peak of beautiful mountains, half facing the sea, overlooking the Southeast. From the sky, they could see a vast and picturesque landscape, and thick as black ink. You Ruo, Luo Shiyi, Wu Qingluo, and Huo Xi, they have been circling for a long time, but there is no way to go down.
“Honorable Master is too much. His enchantment setup is so strong, even this time I secretly managed to bring the Guo Lan jade, we still can’t get in?”
You Ruo put on a long face and her mouth purse up while complaining. She did not change much from the past. Only when discussing official matters at Changliu’s Three Honorable Hall, she will pretend to be mature, and bring out the head leader air. After the big war over, Bai Zihua was driven into madness, Mo Yan, and Sheng Xiaomu, were unwilling to succeed the sect leader position. The next generation after them, Luo Shiyi would be the best candidate to pick from, but he lost his memory. After considering the various aspects, finally they decided to appoint You Ruo as a new leader. At first, she agreed to it because she thought it was interesting, but she did not expect it would be so troublesome. All these years, she kept badger Luo Shiyi, wanted to transfer sect leader position to him.
After hearing that Bai Zihua finally found Hua Qiangu, she went to Cloud Mountain every two or three days, wanted to see her. But Bai Zihua is unreasonable, no one is allowed to enter the mountain. No matter how they begged him, he still remains unmoved.
You Ruo feeling helpless, so she can only resort it by abusing her position and secretly bring out the Guo Lan jade. After the war, sixteen artifacts are sealed again and guarded by different people from different sects. You Ruo as the sect leader of Changliu in charge of keeping the Guo Lan jade. After all, this jade was the most important thing for her and her teacher Gu Tuo. However, she did not expect that even using it still can’t break Bai Zihua’s enchantment. You Ruo was so upset, gritting her teeth in annoyment.
After many attempts, they still couldn’t break the enchantment. helpless, but they are unwilling to return without success. You Ruo has no other choice but to lower her waist and screaming out. If the hard way didn’t work, she has to go the soft way. She will have to earnestly plead the Honorable Master, even if he only let her has a peak, knowing that shifu is alright, that’s enough. But Bai Zihua didn’t even show up his face.
“All of you return—–” The long voice came from afar, indifferent as water, and cold into the bones.
“Honorable Master, please let me see my shifu, I am begging you!” You Ruo pleading with extreme pitiful. Seeing her being like this, the rest of people also followed suite.
“She’s doing very well, you don’t have to worry. Don’t come here again.”
You Ruo said with upset: “Although she’s your disciple, but she’s also my teacher! Why don’t you let me see her?!! I don’t care, I don’t care no more. Today if I don’t see my teacher, I won’t leave.”
“If you do so, I’ll take her away, and find another place that you don’t know.”
You Ruo felt like weeping but had no tears. She then was pulled up by Huo Xi: “Let’s go back for now, we can come back again after a few days. It was not easy to be able to find out from my shifu that they are here. If they change the location, we will have no hope to find them again.”
You Ruo stamp her feet: “After shifu passed away, Honorable Master turned crazy, did you forget it? He’s been emotionally unstable and lost his mind for years. My shifu tricked him to kill her with his own hands, he definitely hates her so much. Now he locked her up in the mountain, not allowing anyone to see her. What if he tortures her to avenge?
Wu Qingluo laughing out loud: “You Ruo, what are you thinking about. The Honorable Master felt so guilty toward Qiangu, he can’t wait to compensate her, be nice to her. How can he hurt her again?”
“Then why doesn’t he let us see her. My shifu does not belong to him alone!”
Luo Shiyi patted her shoulder: “Honorable Master must have his own reasons. Since she’s alright, there will be a chance in the future. Now let’s go back first…” In fact, he also wanted to see Hua Qiangu. He has a lot of questions to ask her. Many things, he always felt that people around him were hiding from him. For example, why did he lose his memory? Why did he like to raise a bunch of baby silkworms and colorful caterpillars in the house……
“But I miss her, wuwuwu…..” You Ruo bit her lower lip, while clenching her fists. Although she knew that she could not say the Honorable Master’s decision at that time was wrong, she still could not help herself from not hating him.
Everyone was hanging around for a long time, and finally they still had no choice but to leave.
__________________________
Inside the Cloud Mountain, Bai Zihua retracted his eyes from looking at the group of people leaving from far distance, and shifted his gaze at Hua Qiangu who was trotting in the courtyard. She’s trying to balance her body and walk. Her forehead was full of sweat, her pink cheeks turned red, and the bell on her neck is jingling all the time. Behind her was a humming beast that became like a pig, running with her on four short legs.
Hua Qiangu ran a few steps and took a peak at Bai Zihua. Everytime when she can’t keep her balance and fall, she feels as if the air around her will turn into an invisible big hand to hold her up.
“Shifu, silly girl can’t run anymore. I know my wrong, don’t punish me…..”
Bai Zihua frowned slightly: “Stop calling yourself silly girl, I said your name is Xiao Gu.”
There was a chill in the air, Hua Qiangu entire body shrunk.
Bai Zihua was taken aback for a moment and tired to look calm as usual. She’s not as smart as she used to be and lost all the memories of the past. She’s almost changed into a new person, but he knew that he loves her, loves her personality, loves everything about her. No matter how much she changed, no matter how many cycles of reincarnation, he will never change his mind. However, he has always suffered distress and unwillingness. He hopes that she still loves him as she used to be, but on the other hand contracting himself hoping that she will never recover her memory.
Bai Zihua caressed his forehead, and his voice sounds like a spring breeze: “Shifu is not punishing you. Your body is too weak, you can’t grasp the balance, and can’t even identify the color. You can’t always rely on external force and medicine to make up, you need to exercise more. Most importantly, if you can’t even finish running a lap around the courtyard …”
How could you be able to learn sword flying skills in the future? How could you able to cultivate, and accompany him to the end of time?
Hua Qiangu’s tiny mouth flatten, with a painting look: “But Xiao Gu have no more energy.” While saying, she staggered a few steps and jumped into Bai Zihua’s arms.
Why does Shifu become so strange sometimes?
Bai Zihua caught her little body and wanted to wipe the sweat on her face with his sleeves, only to find that he suddenly could not move.
“Why did you bite my sleeve?” Bai Zihua pinched her puffy cheeks. “Let go.”
Hua Qiangu looked up and sniffed as she loosened her teeth: “Smell so good. Shifu, I am hungry.”
Bai Zihua stood up and said: What do you want to eat?” From the time he brought Hua Qiangu back, over the year, his culinary skills were soaring. She can hardly do anything. He has to take good care of her daily life and diet. Fortunately, he didn’t bring her back when she just born, otherwise …just the thought of holding a crying baby in his hands, a flash of smiles appeared in Bai Zihua’s face.
“The same as yesterday.” She didn’t remember what she ate yesterday, but she only remembered that it was delicious. “Shifu, hug….”
She clung on his tight and tried to climb up. The humming beast circled around them happily. Bai Zihua had no choice but to bend down and hold her in his arms. She sleeps eight out of twelve hours a day, and eats twice as much as he does, and always complain about being tired after walking a few steps. If he didn’t know that she is the reincarnation of Xiao Gu, he would that questioning is it the reincarnation of a pig?
Hua Qiangu watched the corner of his mouth raised up, she could not help but reached out her hand to touch his face, and then pout her mouth in displeasure. Bai Zihua, once again turned his face away helplessly. He grabbed her restless little hand and placed her in front of the table.
“Don’t be naughty, I am going to find you something to eat. You first practice the words shifu taught you in the past few days.”
As Bai Zihua’s disciple, and can’t even count from one to ten. If let people know, wouldn’t they laugh until their teeth fall off?
“Okay.” Hua Qiangu Held the brush with one fist and ready to write on the paper bravely.
Bai Zihua shook his head, and held her little hand. He then pulled open her fat little finger: “How many times must I say it, the brush is not hold this way.”
That hand is so small that he can easily wrap her two small fists with one hand. Slightly distracted, Hua Qiangu at this time raised her head and bumped into his chin.
“Ouch….” Hua Qiangu holding her head, and cried out in pain. She looked at Bai Zihua who seemed not affected at all and stretched out his hand rubbing the place where she was hurt. She then pouted her mouth in displeasure.
“Who makes you always not paying attention.” The moment he did not pay attention to her, she would bump and bruises her nose and face.
As soon as Bai Zihua turned around and left the room , Hua Qiangu immediately bent down and hugged the humming beast who kept biting her skirt and put it on the table. Shen then put the brush in its mouth.
“Little humming, a lot of words oh, my hands will be very sour, help me write a few.”
The humming beast bites the brush and dragged a long line on the paper ‘一’ .
Hua Qiangu also began her ugly writing.
By the time Bai Zihua finished cooking, and brought the food over, he could only sigh when saw the mess in the study room.
“How did you end up from writing on the table to the ground?”
“The table is too small.”
“So how did you from writing on paper all they way on your face?”
“Huh?”
Bai Zihua pulled her into his arms and rub her dirty, ink-stained face with his hand.
“If one didn’t know it, they would have thought you fell into the ink tank.”
“It wasn’t me, it was Humming.” Hua Qiangu opened her mouth tried to bite the soft jade hand that is ravaging her small face, but she was unable to.
The humming beast with guilty looks looking at the inkstone that was knocked over by it, as well as the ink on Hua Qiangu clothes and on its body. It then trotting a few steps and hid behind Hua Qiangu drawing a string of small black plum footprints on white paper on the ground.
Bai Zihua could only smile helplessly: “After learning for so long, how can still only write ‘一二三’ ?”
TN:一 yi = number1; 二 er= number 2; 三 san = number 3, 八 ba = number 8, 十 shi = number 10
“No, I’ve made progress. I also learned to write this today.” Hua Qiangu pulled out a piece of paper and showed him the ‘八’ and ‘十’ writing. Bai Zihua was amused and reached out his hand to pat her head.
“Okay, let’s eat.”
At the dinner table, Hua Qiangu holds the humming beast in her arms, she devoured the food hungrily while feeding the humming beast. The humming beast seemed to enjoy the meal, and the feeling of being served, making a joyful hum while eating.
The scene reminded Bai Zihua of Tang Bao. His heart suddenly felt like blocking. In fact, he’s not worried about her current situation. After all, she is a god, unlike ordinary people, after ten years, a hundred years, or a thousand years, one day, her soul will once again gather and form, and the mental ability will return to normal. By that time, if her memory did not recover, would he continue lie to her like this, pretending that everything in the past has never happened? But if she remembers everything , would they still able to sit down and have a meal together like this?
The reason he didn’t let her see You Ruo or anyone else, maybe just subconsciously afraid, wanted to completely separate her from the past, and don’t let anyone says anything to her. She’s only belongs to him alone.
—————
“Shifu, I am hot. I am going to take a bath in the river.” She ran a lot today, her whole body was covered with sweat and also the black ink from earlier.
“No, you can’t swim.”
“You can take me there, and help me wash.”
“Male and female have differences. You have to learn to wash yourself.”
“Then has humming beast go with me.”
“It’s also a male. It can’t go either.”
Hua Qiangu was speechless, she then pointed to that super small wooden bucket filled with hot water: “Then I want to change to a bigger one. I don’t want this one.” She’s not humming, how could he put in in such a small bucket.
“No.” He remembers the last time she slipped in the bathtub and nearly drowned in there.
Hua Qiangu’s eyes brimming with tears staring at Bai Zihua.
Bai Zihua squatting down: “How about not washing?” He can just the cleansing spell on her.
“Xiao Gu likes to soak in the water.” Hua Qiangu grabbed on Bai Zihua’s clothes not letting him go. Before her mother always help her bath, why can’t shifu do so?
Bai Zihua touched her head: “Listen, you can do it yourself.” Finished saying, he put her clean clothes aside and went out with the humming beast.
However, it didn’t take long before he heard a loud scream from the inside room. He immediately rushed in and saw Hua Qiangu fell on the ground beside the wooden bucket.
“Damn it!”
Bai Zihua picked her up and put her back into the wooden bucket. He used the quickest speed giving her a clean bath, wrapped her up, and skillfully put the clothes on her.
At first, he wasn’t clear about his rule whether he is her shifu or her father.
It was not like he’s never seen her completely undeveloped body before, but at that time, he only regarded himself as her shifu. However, his feeling now is different from before, he loves her so even if there’s no other inappropriate thought, it’s inevitably not not to have an awkward feeling.
Hua Qiangu was somewhat aggrieved and looked at him frowning. She did not deliberately fall, who asked him to put her clothes so far away.
Bai Zihua seemed to know what she was thinking. He shakes his head and said: “If I didn’t put it far, it would already drenched by you.” Who told her not to take a good bath, but instead always playing with water. The last time, she came out with wet clothes and almost get sick from it.
Hua Qiangu feeling a little sleepy, yawning and buried her head on his chest. Bai Zihua was busy wiping her hair and saw her seemed to fall asleep. He carried her to next door bedroom and get ready to put her down on the bed, but he didn’t expect her to tightly grabbed on his clothes.
Hua Qiangu gently let go of her claws and opened her eyes mistily.
“No, I want to sleep with you.”
Bai Zihua was speechless, and could only carried her back to his room. After covered her with a quilt, he then laid down next to her. Feeling satisfied, Hua Qiangu fell asleep at ease. A year ago, when she first came here, she cried almost every night. After living with him for a long time, she’s now getting a little better, no longer clamoring for her mother wanted to go home. But she’s still afraid, every night must sleep with him. If he does not sleep yet, she will not sleep as well. Occasionally, he tried to put her into her room after she fell asleep in his arms, but she always crawled back to his bed in the middle of the night. Bai Zihua worried that she would develop this bad habit when grow up, but he could not bear to see crying so he could only go along with her.
Holding her little body in his arms, it’s hard to avoid thinking about the past. He constantly forcing himself to forget, but those injuries are too real and deep down into the bones. The pain of killing her, and the 30 years of torment, it always flashed in his dream and let him wake up most of the time with convulsions and trembles. He holds her in his arms and feeling almost suffocate.
Calmness and indifference are just the outside appearances. He’s like a volcano that temporarily suppressed by her, and could explode at any time. He’s now not getting old or die, can’t be destroyed or hurt, in contrast of Hua Qiangu who is like a delicate flower. Various accidents could happen to her if he doesn’t pay attention. His heart is always on the line, the tide was secretly raging, he did not dare to let her out of his sight even for a moment. He could not afford to suffer another blow of losing her. He often staring at her sleeping face all night long, with a blank space in his head.
After taking a deep sigh, he then buried her head in his arms.
Why can’t the days move faster? Counted his fingers, there are still two hundred and three years.