Ch 385: Conflict
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms were about to depart when Vernal Equinox suddenly rushed over like a gust of wind. Her speed was extremely fast, like lightning.
Just as Late Summer was about to turn and leave, Vernal Equinox suddenly reached out and grabbed Late Summer’s shoulder tightly.
Late Summer was startled by this sudden grab. He quickly turned his head, looked at Vernal Equinox, and asked with a face full of doubt, “Little Beauty Vernal Equinox, what do you want?”
However, Vernal Equinox did not answer his question. Her eyes were filled with anger and revenge. Before Late Summer could finish speaking, Vernal Equinox suddenly threw a dark thing from behind her. Late Summer looked closely and saw that it was a clump of wet Spring Mud!
This Spring Mud shot straight towards Late Summer. Seeing this, Late Summer quickly dodged, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.
The Spring Mud flew past his clothes, and with a “pa” sound, it heavily landed on the ground, splashing up a patch of mud and water.
Late Summer, still shaken, stared at Vernal Equinox and roared, “Vernal Equinox, what are you trying to do?”
Vernal Equinox was not to be outdone. She clenched her fists, glared at Late Summer, and said through gritted teeth, “Late Summer, I’m going to kill you!”
After saying this, Vernal Equinox took out a kite from behind her and held it high above her head. This kite was exquisitely made, with a lifelike butterfly painted on it, as if it could take flight at any moment.
Late Summer looked at the kite in Vernal Equinox’s hand, his heart tightened.
He knew that this kite was definitely not an ordinary toy, but Vernal Equinox’s weapon.
“Vernal Equinox, three years have passed, can’t you let it go?” Late Summer tried to reason with Vernal Equinox in a calm tone.
However, Vernal Equinox didn’t listen to his explanation. Her emotions became more and more agitated, tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice trembled as she said, “Late Summer, you killed my only relative. I will never forgive you! I must kill you to avenge my relative!”
Late Summer sneered and retorted, “Humph, we Twenty-Four Solar Terms don’t need relatives. Of those present, who still has relatives by their side? You have one, which is inherently unfair to us!”
“You’re being unreasonable!” Vernal Equinox trembled with anger. She could no longer tolerate Late Summer’s nonsense and violently threw the kite at him.
The kite, like a ferocious hawk, swooped straight at Late Summer. Seeing this, Late Summer quickly took out a River Lantern from his bosom and forcefully pushed it forward. The River Lantern drew an arc in the air and accurately blocked the incoming kite.
With a “bang”, the kite and the River Lantern collided violently, instantly shattering into pieces. Fragments scattered like snowflakes, some even flying onto other Solar Terms.
However, the other Solar Terms remained indifferent. They merely watched Vernal Equinox and Late Summer coldly, without a single person stepping forward to intervene. Several Solar Terms even thought that the more intense the fight, the better, so they could enjoy the spectacle.
Lesser Heat even took out half a Watermelon from a small Package and ate it with relish.
“Since reason doesn’t work, don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Late Summer stamped his foot, and layers of White Mist instantly rose from the ground, with the Heat Wave of the Autumn Tiger’s lingering power enveloping the water vapor, as if it were to turn the entire area into a steamer.
He flicked his sleeve, and several plump Rice Ears shot out, their tips gleaming with a sharp Cold Light, directly towards Vernal Equinox’s face.
Seeing this, Vernal Equinox lightly tapped her feet on the ground, and patches of fresh green Willow Branches suddenly emerged from her side, like countless supple whips, “whooshing” towards the Rice Ears.
The Rice Ears were entangled by the Willow Branches and instantly decomposed into mud, wrapped in the tender buds, while the tips of the Willow Branches had already sprouted tender yellow buds, and with the sharpness of early spring, they whipped back.
“The rain three years ago wasn’t intentional!”
Late Summer was forced to retreat by the Willow Branches, his voice finally tinged with urgency, “White Dew night should have had frost. It was your relative who insisted on staying outside guarding that Peach Orchard that was injured by the Cold Air—”
“Shut up!” Vernal Equinox violently snapped a Willow Branch. Tiny Peach Blossoms suddenly bloomed at the tip of the branch, petals fluttering down, each carrying a piercing Chill.
“If you hadn’t ripened the crops in the field ahead of time, attracting that abnormal Early Frost, how could he have had an accident?!”
The Peach Blossom petals fell on Late Summer’s shoulders, instantly freezing into thin ice.
Late Summer groaned, took out a Folding Fan from his bosom, and with a “whoosh,” unfolded it. The fan depicted heavy ears of grain, and with a sweep of the fan, it stirred up golden Wheat Waves, sweeping all the Peach Blossom petals to the ground.
Where the Wheat Waves passed, the ground cracked into fine Patterns, like land parched by the autumn sun.
At this moment, Lesser Heat, who had been eating Watermelon, suddenly cried out, “Oops!” Half a Watermelon slipped from his hand. It turned out that a wisp of Spring Breeze carrying Peach Blossom petals had hit his back of the hand, and the icy touch made his hand tremble, causing the red-fleshed, green-skinned Watermelon to fall to the ground and shatter.
“Fight your fight, but don’t harm others.”
Lesser Heat pouted, bent down to pick up a Black Piece from the watermelon pulp, flicked it with his finger, and the Black Piece transformed into a small fireball in mid-air, landing with a “pa” sound beside Vernal Equinox’s feet, causing the dry grass to sizzle.
Vernal Equinox didn’t even glance at Lesser Heat. She clasped her hands together, and suddenly, countless Willow Catkins floated around her, each one like a hooked blade.
Seeing this, Late Summer quickly pressed his Folding Fan to the ground. Gushing Clear Water emerged from the ground, actually Autumn Water drawn from the river, instantly forming a wall of water in front of him.
The Willow Catkins struck the water wall, making a dense “poof poof” sound, but were firmly trapped by the current. However, the water wall soon turned green—the Willow Catkins were taking root and sprouting in the water, and in the blink of an eye, they grew slender Vines, winding towards Late Summer’s ankles along the current.
“Crazy, absolutely crazy!”
Late Summer was entangled by the Vines, and his temples bulged with anger. He took a sharp breath, and the water wall suddenly evaporated into White Mist, and the Vines quickly withered in the Steam.
“Do you think that by killing me, your relative will come back to life? Don’t forget, we Solar Terms allow Internal Strife and killing, but not killing in front of the Four Cardinal Points!”
“I don’t care!”
Vernal Equinox’s voice was hoarse. She violently tore off the Hairpin from her head. The Hairpin was actually made of a piece of tender bamboo. The moment it landed, it grew into a tall Green Bamboo, and countless Bamboo Arrows shot out from between the Bamboo Sections.
“I just want you to pay with your life!”
Amidst the sharp whistle of the Bamboo Arrows, Late Summer suddenly straightened his spine. His Atmosphere suddenly became filled with Killing Intent, like the last gust of cold wind in autumn: “Good, since you insist on doing this, then let you see what the truth of that year was.”
He reached out and grabbed into the air, and the scattered fragments of the River Lanterns suddenly reunited, transforming into a Water Mirror. The Scene from three years ago flashed in the mirror: On White Dew night, a figure in a raincoat was busy in the Peach Orchard, and suddenly, a Early Frost fell from the sky, but before the frost could touch the peach trees, a golden light protected the thickest one—that was Late Summer’s Power.
“I did my best.”
Late Summer’s voice echoed in the White Mist, “But he rushed into the frost to save the newly fruited peach saplings.”
Vernal Equinox looked at the Water Mirror, and all her Strength seemed to be drained.
The Bamboo Arrows fell to the ground with a “clatter”. She collapsed in the mud, and tears finally streamed from her eyes, falling into the Spring Mud, spreading a small patch of dark watermarks.
The surrounding Solar Terms remained silent. Lesser Heat picked up the undamaged Watermelon rind from the ground, put a piece of red pulp into his mouth, and mumbled indistinctly, “Oh, so that’s how it was.”
Late Summer looked at Vernal Equinox, who was weeping inconsolably, and suddenly turned to leave. The White Mist dissipated, leaving only a light and airy sentence: “Next time you want to fight, first find out who your enemy is.”
Vernal Equinox lay on the ground, looking at Late Summer’s departing back, and then at the familiar figure in the Water Mirror, and finally burst into tears.
But this crying was weaker than all her previous anger—she suddenly remembered that three years ago, on that morning, Late Summer had left a basket of freshly ripe Chestnuts outside the Peach Orchard, but at that time, she was full of hatred, and kicked the basket over.
The Chestnuts scattered on the ground, and the scattered kite fragments now, seemed to be the same color.
