Chapter 146

The next morning, Wen Chaoyu was helped up from her bed by Bai Ling while she was asleep.

Before dawn, snow was still falling outside, and the post station was quiet with hardly anyone around. Wen Chaoyu hadn't experienced the routine of Yunhua Palace for over ten years. In the Ziwei Sect, she always slept until late morning, and at night she would stay up listening to music in a restaurant until noon the next day. So when Bai Ling told her that it was only a quarter past dawn, Wen Chaoyu was no less shocked than when she learned that Man Jiangxue was going to break into the Ziwei Sect to kill her.

"What's going on? The chickens aren't even awake yet and you're already awake?" Wen Chaoyu said. "You don't want to sleep, fine, but you won't let me sleep either. Didn't that old woman from Liuli Peak teach you to respect your elders?"

Having spent these past few days with Wen Chaoyu, Bai Ling had come to understand her temperament. She wasn't a bad person, but her sharp tongue was rather annoying. Bai Ling said, "Didn't my martial aunt tell me yesterday that we had to go back to the palace first thing this morning? I've been serving this person and that person, so I wanted to sleep a little longer."

Wen Chaoyu said, "There's no need to get up so early! Where's Manjiang Xueren? Go tell her I haven't had enough sleep yet, and tell her to wait for me."

Bai Ling chuckled upon hearing this, then soaked a handkerchief and washed Wen Chaoyu's face, saying, "Uncle and Xiao Qiu left the city yesterday and haven't returned all night. They should be back soon. If you have any requests, just tell Uncle directly later. I wouldn't dare to relay them."

Upon hearing that Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu had not returned home all night, Wen Chaoyu immediately became alert and asked, "Where did they go out of the city? Did Wan Shu come back?"

Bai Ling glanced at her and replied, "Senior Sister Ji must still be on her way. Even if she rides at full speed, it will take her two days to get back. As for what Uncle-Master and Xiao Qiu are doing, I have no idea."

Upon hearing this, Wen Chaoyu felt relieved, but then asked, "We arrived in Shangyuan City yesterday. Man Jiangxue wasn't in a hurry to return to the palace. She ran out of the city and didn't come back all night, taking only Yin Qiu with her. Didn't they leave you a few words?"

Bai Ling thought to herself, "You're really nosy," but she still answered honestly, "If I had to guess, Martial Uncle probably went to celebrate Xiao Qiu's birthday. Yesterday was Xiao Qiu's birthday."

"What?!" Wen Chaoyu raised her voice, "Those two ran off to eat and drink well, while I've been lying in this shabby inn like a wooden stake, unable to move, for a whole day and night. Is that fair?!"

Bai Ling shrugged and said, "Whether it's fair or not isn't up to me. When your martial uncle comes back, you can go and argue with him."

After she finished speaking, she called Xue Tan, who was waiting outside the door, in, and carried Wen Chaoyu downstairs. Wen Chaoyu said indignantly, "Man Jiangxue is truly inhuman. She is greedy for pleasure but treats me like a criminal. You better get rid of my ailment right now!"

Just as Bai Ling was about to reply, she heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from the gate. She turned her head and saw that Man Jiangxue had returned with Yin Qiu. She smiled and said, "Perfect timing, Martial Aunt is back. You can now freely express any dissatisfaction you may have."

Wen Chaoyu scoffed and watched Man Jiangxue carry Yin Qiu towards the front hall with a cold eye. She said sourly, "Oh, the busy man has finally shown up. Where have you been having fun all night?"

Man Jiangxue ignored her, placed the sleepy-eyed Yin Qiu on the table and said, "Do I need to report to you where I'm going?"

Wen Chaoyu said, "Relieve my blood stasis!"

Man Jiangxue ignored her request and left her standing there. Only after Bai Ling brought out the breakfast did she put two fingers together and tap Wen Chaoyu's chest twice.

Wen Chaoyu reacted quickly and took off running without saying a word, but she hadn't run two steps when a flash of silver light appeared before her eyes. Ning Shuang suddenly attacked from behind and blocked her way, forcing Wen Chaoyu to stumble and almost lose her balance.

Seeing this, Bai Ling couldn't help but burst out laughing. Xue Tan covered his face with his hand, his expression unreadable. Wen Chaoyu, feeling rather bored, sat back down dejectedly and glared at Man Jiangxue, saying, "I'll give it a try."

Man Jiangxue said, "I'll give it a try too."

Realizing that escaping under Man Jiangxue's nose was indeed as difficult as climbing to the sky, Wen Chaoyu forced herself to accept this cruel reality. She drank a couple of mouthfuls of congee and casually glanced at the two people opposite her. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but the more she looked, the more something seemed wrong. Wen Chaoyu looked puzzled and pointed at Yin Qiu, who had been listless and drowsy since returning, and asked, "What's wrong with this child?"

Man Jiangxue broke the pastry into pieces and fed it to Yin Qiu. Upon hearing this, she looked up and asked, "What? What's wrong?"

Wen Chaoyu said, "Is she sick again? Why doesn't she even help herself to eat?" After thinking for a moment, she added, "You were the one who carried her back just now. What were you doing last night?"

Man Jiangxue fed Yin Qiu two more mouthfuls of porridge and said calmly, "You're not sick, and you haven't done anything wrong." As she spoke, she took out a silk handkerchief and wiped Yin Qiu's mouth. "You're just still sleepy."

Wen Chaoyu clicked her tongue in amazement and said, "How old is she? Why are you still feeding her bite by bite? She's just not fully awake yet. I'm still sleepy too."

Man Jiangxue said, "Then you should find someone to feed you too."

This person never knew the meaning of "politeness" when speaking to her. It was the same when they were still in Yunhua Palace. Wen Chaoyu rolled her eyes at Man Jiangxue and focused on eating. But strangely, she couldn't help but look at Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu. Especially when she found that Man Jiangxue's eyes were particularly gentle when he looked at Yin Qiu and that he was very patient and meticulous when taking care of Yin Qiu, she felt a little indescribable.

What's going on with these two? Wen Chaoyu wondered to herself, why is the atmosphere so strange?

Her gaze was direct and unrestrained, revealing undisguised scrutiny and suspicion. Man Jiangxue pretended not to see it and continued to feed Yin Qiu without changing her expression. Yin Qiu seemed to come back to her senses and waved her hand, saying, "I'm full, Uncle-Master. You haven't eaten a single bite yourself."

Man Jiangxue said, "You've only eaten a few bites? Finish the rest of the porridge so you can take your medicine later."

Yin Qiu nodded obediently, and Man Jiangxue brought the spoon to her lips again. Just as Yin Qiu was about to open her mouth, she caught a glimpse of Wen Chaoyu sitting opposite her, staring intently at her. Yin Qiu met Wen Chaoyu's gaze and felt inexplicably uncomfortable. She said softly, "Uncle Wen, what are you looking at?"

Wen Chaoyu's gaze was sharp. After a brief silence, she said, "Aren't you two... being a little too intimate?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly took the bowl of porridge and spoon from Man Jiangxue's hands and said, "I'll do it myself. Martial Aunt, please eat."

Seeing the fleeting panic on Yin Qiu's face, Wen Chaoyu seemed to grasp something in that instant. She widened her eyes and looked at Man Jiangxue, saying, "What the heck... Man Jiangxue, you can't be, can you?"

Man Jiangxue looked at her calmly: "What about me?"

Wen Chaoyu asked incredulously, "You...you're going to eat the grass right next to your own nest?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Ling choked abruptly, quickly put down her chopsticks, and ran out. Seeing Bai Ling's reaction, Yin Qiu's face flushed red. Only Man Jiangxue remained calm and said, "A grass near your own nest?" She seemed to have heard a joke. "Are you talking about yourself?"

Wen Chaoyu choked, retorting, "Don't drag me into this!" She looked the two of them over and over, her eyes filled with complicated emotions, and said, "Yin Qiu is Man Dong's daughter, are you crazy?"

Man Jiangxue said, "So what?"

Seeing her so self-righteous and unabashed, which was tantamount to admitting that her relationship with Yin Qiu was indeed unusual, Wen Chaoyu couldn't help but say incredulously, "You really are... even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows! How come you're even less than a rabbit?"

“That’s still a little better than what you have,” Man Jiangxue immediately retorted, “Didn’t you eat it too?”

Wen Chaoyu's expression changed slightly, and she stared in disbelief, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? What did I eat?" She paused, then emphasized, "I didn't eat anything!"

Man Jiangxue looked at her leisurely: "Didn't eat?"

Wen Chaoyu paused for a moment, then said decisively, "I didn't eat!"

Man Jiangxue said "Oh" and then said, "That's strange. Wan Shu clearly told me that you two made things clear that night in Weicheng."

Upon hearing this, Wen Chaoyu was thunderstruck and exclaimed, "She told you... How could she tell you even this?!"

“Wan Shu has no secrets from me,” Man Jiangxue said calmly. “She tells me everything, so it’s not surprising.”

Wen Chaoyu felt a prickling sensation on her back. After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly looked at the embarrassed and awkward Yin Qiu and asked, "You know about this too?"

Yin Qiu's face was still red as she looked at her and said, "...What do you know?"

Man Jiangxue said, "It's nothing, it's just between her and Wan Shu—"

"Shut up!" Wen Chaoyu said urgently. "What's wrong with you? How dare you gossip in front of me! Shut up right now!"

Yin Qiu's curiosity was piqued, and she pressed for an answer: "What exactly is it?"

Man Jiangxue said, "She just mentioned the grass near her nest, don't you understand?"

Yin Qiu was taken aback, then suddenly realized, "I understand, Senior Uncle Wen and Senior Sister Ji are also..."

"Shut up, you too!" Wen Chaoyu yelled in a fit of rage. "We're both equally bad!"

Man Jiangxue glanced at Yin Qiu and chuckled softly, "Who says otherwise?"

Wen Chaoyu originally wanted to gossip about the two of them, but unexpectedly she was mocked by Man Jiangxue instead. She was in a complicated mood and couldn't eat her food. She stood there with a cold face, full of anger.

Xue Tan, caught in this awkward atmosphere, wished he could bury his head in his rice bowl. He felt incredibly superfluous and should have run away with Bai Ling earlier. Fortunately, Bai Ling soon brought the carriage to the door, giving Xue Tan a chance to catch his breath. He quickly helped Bai Ling carry the unconscious Ding Lianzhen from upstairs into the carriage, escaping this suffocating scene.

After Wen Chaoyu was released from her acupuncture and regained her freedom, she naturally asked for a horse to ride herself. The group set off, and after holding back for a while, Wen Chaoyu couldn't help but approach Man Jiangxue and whispered, "Are you and Yin Qiu serious?"

Seeing that the two women were talking privately, Bai Ling silently slowed down. Yin Qiu was sitting in the car, unable to see or hear what was happening outside.

"Otherwise what?" Man Jiangxue replied, "Aren't you and Wan Shu serious too?"

Wen Chaoyu frowned and said in an unfriendly tone, "Can you stop dragging me and Wan Shu into this? We are not the same as you at all."

Man Jiangxue said, "How can they not be the same thing?"

Wen Chaoyu said, "It's still unclear whether Mandong is alive or dead. If she suddenly comes back one day, how will you face her?"

Without hesitation, Man Jiangxue replied, "Of course, we should face it as we see fit. Is there any need to ask?"

“Ke Mandong has always had feelings for you,” Wen Chaoyu lowered her voice and glanced behind her. “Yin Qiu probably doesn’t know about this yet, does she?”

Man Jiangxue paused for a moment, then replied truthfully, "I haven't told her yet."

Wen Chaoyu gave her a knowing look and asked, "Then why don't you tell her? If she finds out someday, how will you two get along?"

Man Jiangxue paused for a moment, then looked at the mountains and forests ahead and said, "If Xiao Qiu wants to distance herself from me because of this, then I can only respect her choice. However, I think she probably won't do that."

“It’s good to be confident,” Wen Chaoyu said seriously, “but she will find out about this sooner or later. I personally think it’s better for you to tell her yourself rather than someone else telling her.”

Man Jiangxue, unusually hesitant, frowned and said, "I don't know how to start."

Wen Chaoyu laughed out loud: "How strange, there are times when you can't speak? That's rare."

Man Jiangxue glanced at her sideways and said expressionlessly, "My affairs are none of your concern. Take care of yourself first."

Seeing that Man Jiangxue was also in trouble, Wen Chaoyu was extremely pleased and said smugly, "As long as you keep your mouth shut, Wan Shu won't cause me any trouble, so what do I have to be afraid of?"

“The truth will eventually come out,” Man Jiangxue said. “What you just said to me also applies to yourself.”

Wen Chaoyu's smile froze, and she was about to retort when Man Jiangxue ignored her and spurred her horse forward.

Wen Chaoyu gritted her teeth and shouted at Man Jiangxue's retreating figure, "We're evenly matched!"

·

Xie Yijun sat at the long table, with a small mountain of folded documents piled up beside her.

The plum blossoms in the plum garden were intertwined, and the fragrance of plum blossoms filled the air. The bamboo curtains hanging on the four sides of the pavilion could not block the cold wind, which made the several disciples who were attending her shiver. They dared not move rashly. Xie Yijun had been working hard for days and was exhausted. These days, she relied on the cold wind to keep her spirits up. The disciples did not want to disturb her, so they could only stand in the cold wind and endure it without moving.

After a short while, Xie Yijun put down her pen, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and was about to instruct someone to pack up and return to Mingguang Hall when she suddenly saw a disciple coming through the flower bushes, excitedly saying, "Sect Leader! You should hurry back to Mingguang Hall to see, Martial Uncle has returned!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yijun's face lit up with joy, and she exclaimed, "Really? Good, you're finally back!"

She then got up and hurriedly left the plum garden with the disciple. When she arrived at Mingguang Hall, she saw that Man Jiangxue and the others were already waiting in the hall. Xie Yijun had been staying at home these days and felt very lonely. Seeing Man Jiangxue now, she was filled with mixed feelings and exclaimed, "Jiangxue is back? You guys... if you stay outside the palace any longer, I will really become a lonely person."

Man Jiangxue nodded slightly, still bearing the marks of time, and replied, "I was delayed by too many things, and I've kept you waiting, Senior Sister."

Xie Yijun waved her hand, exchanged a few words with her, and then turned her gaze to Yin Qiu, asking with concern, "I've heard about what happened in Weicheng. Xiao Qiu, are you feeling better?"

Yin Qiu bowed and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader. I'm fine, and my injuries have almost healed."

"That's good, that's good..." Xie Yijun sighed, her eyes softening. "You've suffered so much, it's good that you're back safe and sound."

Yin Qiu had been learning martial arts from Xie Yijun for the past few years and had developed a teacher-student relationship with her, so she took the initiative to ask, "With our martial uncle here, we can't do much outside the palace. But how is the sect leader doing in the palace? Senior Sister Ye has been imprisoned in the torture hall, so the sect leader has no one to serve him. He must be quite uncomfortable."

Mentioning Ye Zhilan, Xie Yijun let out another long sigh. Just as she was about to pour out her troubles to Yin Qiu and Man Jiangxue, she suddenly noticed Wen Chaoyu leaning against Yin Qiu's back. Xie Yijun was immediately taken aback and asked in surprise, "Wen Chaoyu...? Why did you bring her here?"

Wen Chaoyu leaned back in his chair, his posture extremely improper. Upon hearing this, he greeted Xie Yijun with a grin and said, "Oh, Yijun, it's been so many years. You've aged faster than us."

Xie Yijun was the first disciple accepted by the former sect leader. Not only was she of a higher generation than Wen Chaoyu and Man Jiangxue, but she was also the oldest among the fellow disciples. Xie Yijun was almost forty years old, and she was overworked and worried every day. In particular, she looked particularly tired lately, and naturally could not compare to Wen Chaoyu and Man Jiangxue who looked so young.

Xie Yijun and Wen Chaoyu had never gotten along and disliked each other. Whenever they met, they would inevitably have a verbal battle. So she retorted coldly, "As long as you don't die as fast as me, you traitor, you have the nerve to come back!"

Wen Chaoyu stood up, stood in front of Xie Yijun, and said, "What traitor? Even if I am a traitor, I am a traitor to the Ziwei Sect. There is no reason for you to say that about me."

"You are the second disciple Master took in. You became Master's disciple and were respectfully addressed as 'Uncle-Master' by the disciples of the palace. What else are you but a traitor?" Xie Yijun's eyes turned cold as she stared directly at Wen Chaoyu. "Master's cenotaph is in the back mountain. If you have a clear conscience, then take these words to her and say them. You are truly shameless!"

Wen Chaoyu sneered: "I'm shameless, and you're just as unfilial. Your master is dead, and you still want me to go to her grave to upset her. What kind of good person are you?"

Xie Yijun flew into a rage, a surge of anger rising to her head. Without uttering a sound, she swung her palm at Wen Chaoyu. Wen Chaoyu immediately dodged, avoiding the attack. Xie Yijun, determined to teach her a lesson, drew her sword and gave Wen Chaoyu a good beating. Wen Chaoyu, now only possessing half her former strength, could no longer overpower Xie Yijun as she used to, and could only flee. The two then began fighting in the Mingguang Hall, creating quite a commotion.

The disciples were already surprised enough to see Wen Chaoyu, but now that Xie Yijun was personally beating someone, they were even more dumbfounded. None of them dared to step forward to stop the fight, and they could only silently shrink to the side and watch the show.

Seeing this scene, Yin Qiu was both amused and exasperated. She pulled Man Jiangxue aside and said, "How did they start fighting over nothing? Uncle-Master, aren't you going to go and try to stop them?"

Man Jiangxue showed no intention of mediating the fight. Instead, she led Yin Qiu to a seat and said calmly, "There's nothing to mediate. Let them fight."

Yin Qiu said, "What kind of talk is this? How can elders fight in front of juniors? Uncle Wen is really something, coming here and immediately trying to be sarcastic, which has displeased the sect leader. Besides, the sect leader is usually such a composed person, how could he get angry after hearing just a few words from Uncle Wen? So many disciples are watching this spectacle..."

Man Jiangxue smiled slightly, holding her teacup, and said, "They've always been like this. They've always loved to argue and fight." After saying this, she looked at Yin Qiu and said, "According to seniority, these two are my senior sisters. I can't control them. Let them fight if they want. They'll stop when they're done fighting."

Since even she said so, Yin Qiu gave up the idea of ​​stepping in to break up the fight. Fortunately, just as Man Jiangxue had said, the two of them stopped fighting quickly after one round. However, Wen Chaoyu suffered a little loss due to her lack of skill and was hit a few times by Xie Yijun. Xie Yijun did not really hurt her. Of course, she knew that Man Jiangxue must have a great use for bringing Wen Chaoyu back, so she just vented her anger on her.

The flashing swords came and went quickly. Xie Yijun's activity had actually swept away her fatigue. She raised her hand and put her sword back in its place, coldly looking at Wen Chaoyu and saying, "You good-for-nothing trash, you can't even beat me now. The Ziwei Sect really is a good place to cultivate your character."

Wen Chaoyu got up from the ground, rubbing her chest as she retorted defiantly, "No matter how good it is, it can't compare to your Yunhua Palace. You were at this level more than ten years ago, and you're still at this level more than ten years later. I have to say, you've truly grasped the essence of the word 'consistent performance.' I admire you!"

“That’s still better than you. You’re a defeated opponent who’s still so stubborn,” Xie Yijun said. “It’s a fact that you can’t beat me.”

"You can't curse just because you can't beat me?" Wen Chaoyu said. "What kind of skill is it if you beat me? Do you have the guts to beat up Man Jiangxue?"

Xie Yijun sneered: "My kung fu has remained unchanged for over a decade, and so has your shamelessness. If I were you, I would find an opportunity to smash my head against a wall and die. How dare you come back to this place? It's ridiculous!"

Wen Chaoyu said, "Then why don't you just laugh yourself to death? It's as if I shamelessly begged to come to your Yunhua Palace. Even if you carried me in a sedan chair, I wouldn't want to come. If it weren't for that shameless scoundrel Man Jiangxue kidnapping me, would I even want to come to your Yunhua Palace? You're the one who's ridiculous!"

Xie Yijun, unable to bear it any longer, looked at Man Jiangxue and said, "Why did you bring her back? She's bad luck!"

Man Jiangxue was almost dozing off from listening to their bickering when she heard this, and replied, "I have already investigated the spies in the palace. It is not Zhilan. I brought her back to testify."

Xie Yijun suddenly looked up, took two steps closer to Man Jiangxue, and narrowed her eyes slightly, asking, "Who is it?"

Man Jiangxue glanced around without speaking. After the disciples had all understood and left, she finally spoke, "It's Huaiwei."

Upon hearing that name, Xie Yijun was taken aback for a moment, then straightened up, her face showing understanding, and said while fiddled with her prayer beads, "It's her."