Chapter 175

Meng Jing poured the freshly brewed medicine into a porcelain bowl and packed it into a food box along with the food. As soon as she turned around, someone outside lifted the curtain, and Ji Wanshu stretched out a hand to her, saying, "Give me the things."

Meng Jing handed her the food box and noticed that Ji Wanshu's skirt and boots were covered in mud, so he asked, "Senior Sister, did you just return to the palace?"

Ji Wanshu held up the curtain until Meng Jing came out before letting go, saying, "I heard Huaiwei woke up, so I took some time to come back and see her. I'll have to head back to the city later."

The two walked out of the medicine-decocting room and entered the long corridor. Meng Jing said, "In a few days, it will be Senior Sister's enthronement ceremony. Today is the sixth day. If there is nothing important in the city, Senior Sister does not need to go. Although Senior Sister Lu has just woken up, she seems to be in good spirits. Senior Sister may wish to spend more time with her."

The red silk lanterns and colorful decorations were still hanging in the palace, the festive atmosphere was strong, and people were coming and going in the courtyard. Ji Wanshu stopped by the steps and asked, "Have you told her about what happened these past few days?"

Meng Jing nodded: "I told her everything."

Ji Wanshu asked, "What is the person's reaction?"

“There was no reaction whatsoever,” Meng Jing sighed softly. “He just asked me about what happened, but didn’t say much else.”

Ji Wanshu frowned, feeling a little worried.

When Lu Huaiwei was publicly tried in the Mingguang Hall that day, she was so indifferent, convinced that Lu Huaiwei was a spy. Now that the truth has come out and Lu Huaiwei has been exonerated, she will probably be heartbroken to learn of Ye Zhilan's death and suffer the injustice she suffered before.

“She is definitely heartbroken, but she hasn’t shown it at all,” Meng Jing said as she walked to Ji Wanshu’s side, her eyes filled with worry. “When you see her later, Senior Sister, you should talk to her more. Physical injuries will heal sooner or later, but emotional wounds are not so easy to heal. If she doesn’t vent her emotions, they will become pent up in her heart, which will only do her a disservice.”

The image of Lu Huaiwei committing suicide flashed before her eyes. Ji Wanshu gripped the handle of the food box tightly, as if she could still recall the weight of the blood splattered on her skirt. She took a deep breath, then sighed heavily, and said, "Okay, I understand. You can go about your business."

Meng Jing nodded to her in greeting, and the two descended the steps together before heading off in different directions.

There weren't many wounded or injured people in the medical pavilion, nor were there many medical disciples. Ji Wanshu entered without asking anyone to announce her arrival and quietly found Lu Huaiwei's room. The door was ajar. Ji Wanshu slowly pushed it open and stepped inside. She saw Lu Huaiwei on the bed wiping away tears with a handkerchief.

She cried terribly, but didn't make a sound.

Seeing this scene, Ji Wanshu was unsure whether to leave or stay, and stood frozen at the door, unable to make up her mind. Lu Huaiwei, however, turned her head and saw her. She quickly sat up in a panic, hastily wiping away her tears, and said in a hoarse voice, "...Why is Senior Sister here?"

Ji Wanshu felt a mix of emotions and stood there saying, "I've come to see you."

After tidying herself up, Lu Huaiwei looked at Ji Wanshu and smiled, "I've been bedridden for so long, and during the holidays, my senior sister must have been on duty in Shangyuan City. It's only the sixth day of the new year, and you've already returned to the palace. Did you come here specifically to visit me?"

Ji Wanshu hummed in agreement, turned to close the door, pulled up a chair and sat down by the couch, then took out the food and medicine from the food box.

"Eat something first," Ji Wanshu said, keeping her head down and not looking at Lu Huaiwei. "You can take your medicine after you've eaten."

Lu Huaiwei actually had no appetite, but seeing Ji Wanshu personally bring the spoon to her lips, she ate a few bites. The two remained silent, neither knowing what to say.

The weather was nice these past few days after the New Year, sunny and bright, making the house very bright. Lu Huaiwei knew Ji Wanshu too well; she knew that Ji Wanshu felt guilty and didn't know how to face her. So Lu Huaiwei took the initiative to start a conversation and asked, "It sounds lively outside. Is there some happy occasion in the palace?"

Ji Wanshu glanced out the window and replied, "The sect leader has already chosen the Lantern Festival to appoint me as the young sect leader. I haven't been in the palace recently, so I don't know how the enthronement ceremony will be conducted. I suppose the disciples are all busy preparing for this."

Hearing this, Lu Huaiwei's face lit up with joy, and her red eyes suddenly brightened. Half surprised and half delighted, she said, "Really? You've always been so resistant, how come you suddenly agreed?"

Ji Wanshu picked up a piece of vegetables with his chopsticks and fed it to him, saying, "Originally, I didn't care about being the young sect leader, but Senior Sister Ye... she was a spy and is now dead. The palace has suddenly lost a senior sister, and not only are the disciples in a state of panic, but even the sect leader is worried so much that he can't eat or drink. As the chief disciple, I should stand up and stabilize people's hearts at this time. I should put aside my personal interests and put the sect first."

Lu Huaiwei was first surprised, then said with relief, "It's true that you should look at someone with new eyes after three days of separation. You couldn't have said these words before. It seems that you have matured and become more composed after experiencing these things."

“It’s all an act,” Ji Wanshu said. “It’s easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one’s nature. I’ve gotten used to being wild these past few years, and I feel suffocated if I stay in the Mingguang Hall for too long. But I can’t ignore the heavy responsibility on my shoulders, so I can only force myself to accept it.”

"You know you're used to being wild? Besides your martial uncle, who else in this palace can control you?" Lu Huaiwei laughed and said sincerely, "But don't worry, senior sister, if you become the sect leader in the future, I will definitely assist you wholeheartedly. Although senior sister Ye is gone, I still have you. If you have any difficulties or don't understand anything, you can leave it all to me to handle."

Looking at the smile on her face, Ji Wanshu felt as if she were being pricked by needles. She forced down her surging emotions and asked as naturally as possible, "Want to eat more?"

Lu Huaiwei didn't notice the strangeness on her face and was still happy for Ji Wanshu about the young sect leader's matter. Hearing this, she shook her head: "I'm not eating. I don't have an appetite and can't eat."

"Then drink the medicine." Ji Wanshu put down her chopsticks and bowl, then picked up the medicine and handed it to Lu Huaiwei.

The medicine bowl was still hot, and Ji Wanshu didn't let go. Lu Huaiwei held her hand and made her drink the medicine in small sips. Ji Wanshu looked at her, wanting to apologize to her countless times, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it. After Lu Huaiwei had finished all the medicine, Ji Wanshu turned her face away and mustered up her courage to say, "Huaiwei, I... I have something I want to tell you."

Lu Huaiwei, her smile undiminished, asked, "What do you want to say?"

Ji Wanshu hesitated for a moment, closed her eyes, and said, "I'm sorry."

Upon hearing this, Lu Huaiwei paused and said softly, "Senior Sister, there's no need for this. You haven't wronged me. I already said it in Mingguang Hall that day: I understand you and I won't resent anyone. Now that Senior Sister Ye is dead, there are no more spies from the Ziwei Sect in the palace. This is a good thing, so it's nothing for me to suffer this little grievance. It's worth it."

The more understanding she was, the more guilty Ji Wanshu felt. Ever since Ye Zhilan kidnapped Yin Qiu, Ji Wanshu had been blaming herself. If she had given Lu Huaiwei more trust, perhaps she wouldn't have been driven to the point of suicide. Fortunately, the Medical Pavilion and Mingguang Hall were close by, and the disciples acted quickly enough. Otherwise, Lu Huaiwei might have really lost her life. Even though so much time had passed, Ji Wanshu still felt lingering fear. If Lu Huaiwei hadn't been saved, she would have lost her only dearest friend forever.

“…You almost died,” Ji Wanshu said, looking at the ground with a complicated expression. “This is not just a small grievance, it is an enormous grievance.”

“No matter how wronged you were, it’s all in the past,” Lu Huaiwei said, pulling Ji Wanshu’s hand and gently patting the back of her hand. “Why are you blaming yourself, Senior Sister? If you were the one who was framed, and there was so much evidence and you couldn’t defend yourself, I would have believed you were a spy. In the end, it was Senior Sister Ye who was very capable; it has nothing to do with you.”

Hearing her words, Ji Wanshu felt extremely distressed and said bitterly, "You, the one who has been wronged, are trying to comfort me, the one who wronged you. What kind of logic is that? Don't say these nice things to me. You can scold me or even hit me. As long as it makes you feel better, you can do whatever you want to me."

“Who said I’m not feeling well? I’m fine,” Lu Huaiwei said. “How can a woman of the martial world not even endure this little bit of hardship? Senior sister underestimates me too much.”

"Then why were you crying earlier?" Ji Wanshu asked.

Lu Huaiwei pursed her lips and said with a smile, "That's because the wound hurt so much that I cried from the pain."

Ji Wanshu said, "Why didn't you cry from the pain when you were seriously injured last time? You're lying."

Lu Huaiwei's smile faltered, and she choked up involuntarily. Avoiding Ji Wanshu's gaze, she said in a hoarse voice, "How do you know I haven't cried? You didn't see it. I like to hide away and cry secretly. I care about my image."

Ji Wanshu remained silent.

Her silence instantly quieted the room, and Lu Huaiwei's sobs became more pronounced. Ji Wanshu could tell she was deliberately holding back, and remembering Meng Jing's earlier instructions, she hesitated for a moment before suddenly standing up and hugging Lu Huaiwei tightly.

Lu Huaiwei was taken aback by her sudden action and stood there stunned for a moment. Ji Wanshu really had no skill in comforting people and never said anything intimate. She could only clumsily pat Lu Huaiwei's back and said with a very uncomfortable feeling, "You've lost so much weight, it's hard to hold."

Lu Huaiwei was dazed, her heart clenching at those words. She bit her lip, initially feigning composure, but as time passed, she gradually lost control. Warm tears silently streamed down her face, quickly soaking Ji Wanshu's shoulder. Her intermittent sobs escalated into soft weeping. Ji Wanshu's clumsy attempts to comfort her finally broke her facade, and she could no longer contain the intense, unvented grief in her heart, bursting into tears in front of Ji Wanshu.

The commotion attracted the attention of the disciples working outside. They noticed the door was slightly ajar, and Ji Wanshu glanced at it, signaling with her eyes that they shouldn't come in.

Hearing Lu Huaiwei's cries, the disciples all showed pity and quietly withdrew.

Ji Wanshu sighed, still unable to utter any kind words. She racked her brains for a long time, but in the end, she had no choice but to give up on comforting Lu Huaiwei and silently hugged her tightly.

·

"Who is crying so hard?" Yin Qiu had just entered the courtyard when she heard heartbroken sobbing coming from deep within the medical pavilion. She paused and looked around in surprise.

Man Jiangxue listened for a while and said, "The voice is hoarse, it's probably Huaiwei."

The two went up the steps and stopped at the entrance of the medical pavilion without going in immediately. Soon, several disciples came out from inside, and Yin Qiu asked them what was wrong and learned that it really was Lu Huaiwei crying.

“Since Senior Sister Ji is inside with her, let’s not go in and disturb her,” Yin Qiu glanced inside, her mood inevitably dropping a bit. “Let’s wait until Senior Sister Lu has calmed down before we go see her.”

Man Jiangxue responded and led Yin Qiu into the side hall to wait. When Yin Qiu went back to check earlier, the bamboo branch was still hanging. Now that she was in the medical pavilion, she thought of Meng Jing and suggested, "Why don't we go find Meng Jing and ask him how the antidote is coming along?"

Man Jiangxue said, "Alright, go ahead."

Yin Qiu stood up, took two steps toward the door before realizing what was happening, and turned back to ask, "Should I go?"

Man Jiangxue remained seated on the wooden chair, smiled at Yin Qiu, and asked, "You want me to go?"

Yin Qiu said, "Can't we go together?"

“I’m tired,” Man Jiangxue said. “Go by yourself.”

Yin Qiu looked her up and down: "I don't see why you're tired. The alchemy room isn't far, it's just a few steps away. Don't you want to keep me company, Martial Aunt?"

Man Jiangxue said, "It's not that I don't want to be with you. Meng Jing has always been afraid of me and is reserved in front of me. With me around, he has to think carefully before he speaks to you. Why should I make him uncomfortable?"

Meng Jing was afraid of Man Jiangxue, and Yin Qiu knew this too, but...

"Why does she have to think twice before speaking to me when you're around?" Yin Qiu asked, puzzled. "She's afraid of you, but she's not afraid of me."

"That's why I sent you," Man Jiangxue said.

“…But we can’t expect Uncle-Master to avoid seeing Meng Jing whenever he needs to see him in the future, can we?” Yin Qiu said. “What kind of talk is that?”

“It’s none of my business as an elder to get involved in your conversation with your friends of the same age,” Man Jiangxue said, walking up to Yin Qiu and looking down at her with a hint of a smile in her eyes. “Perhaps he has something to say to you after you meet today. Once you’ve made things clear, I won’t avoid it anymore. As an elder, it’s my duty to consider the feelings of the younger generation, isn’t it?”

Yin Qiu thought to herself, "So you've remembered that you're an elder now? Why didn't you think of that when you were teasing her and feeding her more water?"

"What could she possibly want to say to me? And she can only say it if her martial uncle is away," Yin Qiu said, puzzled. "And how did her martial uncle know what she wanted to say?"

“I guessed,” Man Jiangxue said. “Aren’t I supposed to be a prophet?”

"Are you hiding something from me?" Yin Qiu grabbed Man Jiangxue's waist and clung to her, refusing to leave. "Tell me now!"

Man Jiangxue said, "Why don't you just ask him?" Then she added, "There are so many people coming and going in the courtyard. Aren't you going to avoid suspicion now?"

Yin Qiu paused, immediately released Man Jiangxue, and looked back to find no one in the courtyard.

Man Jiangxue chuckled softly.

“You’re playing tricks on me again,” Yin Qiu said. “If I go, I’ll have to leave you here all alone.”

"I'm not a child, do I need someone to accompany me all the time?" Man Jiangxue raised her chin and looked outside. "Besides, I have friends my age. Look, they're here, aren't they?"

Yin Qiu turned around again and saw Xie Yijun leading two disciples towards them. Hearing Lu Huaiwei's crying, she raised an eyebrow and said, "You've come to visit Huaiwei? Who's crying and making a scene inside?"

Man Jiangxue said, "It is indeed Huaiwei."

Xie Yijun looked embarrassed and sighed, "With her crying like this, I can't go in. I don't have the face to go in. I'll wait and go with you later."

The two "elders" met and naturally had something to talk about. Seeing this, Yin Qiu left the side hall and went to the alchemy room to find Meng Jing. When he arrived, before he even entered, he smelled that familiar scent. Several medicine disciples were sitting in the corridor grinding medicinal herbs, their faces covered with veils. They were all clearly unable to stand the smell and were sneezing incessantly.

With the doors and windows tightly closed, the stench in the room became even stronger. Yin Qiu pushed the door open and was coughed by the stench. Meng Jing was sitting alone in front of the medicine furnace, holding a small bamboo fan in his hand. Hearing footsteps, he turned to look at Yin Qiu and said, "What are you doing in here? Go outside and wait. If you have something to say, wait until I finish brewing this medicine."

Seeing that she was sitting so close to the medicine stove, without a face mask on, and constantly stirring the pot with a scraper, almost burying her head in it, Yin Qiu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Don't you find it smelly? This smell is nauseating after a while. Don't sit so close."

Meng Jing said without changing his expression, "I have to keep a close eye on it every step of the way. There's a lot of smoke when the medicine is being brewed, and I can't see clearly unless I get close. What if it burns?"

Yin Qiu wanted to open two windows to let in some fresh air, but then she thought of the disciples outside and changed her mind. She went over and took a look, and Meng Jing handed her a damp handkerchief, saying, "Cover your mouth and nose, don't vomit from the smell."

Yin Qiu found it amusing: "I can't vomit," she said, pulling up a small stool to sit next to Meng Jing, covering the lower half of her face with a handkerchief, "Without Senior Sister Ye's blood, can this antidote be made?"

“It’s difficult,” Meng Jing said. “My master has recently collected a lot of ancient books from beyond the Great Wall, but he hasn’t found any other solutions. I thought that Miss Duan had accidentally concocted this medicine, so I’ve been trying it out haphazardly these past few days, hoping that I can have her good luck.”

Man Jiangxue has not yet made it public that Gongzi Fan cured Yin Qiu of the Gu poison. Although the two of them have become suspicious of him, how could the mastermind behind the secret guard disciples be willing to risk his own life to save Yin Qiu? Therefore, Yin Qiu does not want to convict Gongzi Fan without any evidence and only speculation. If word gets out and the real mastermind finds out, he will definitely take the opportunity to make Gongzi Fan take the blame for him.

Right now, Yin Qiu doesn't trust anyone except Man Jiangxue, and both of them have kept this matter a secret. As long as Gongzi Fan can save his life this time, once Yin Qiu gets in touch with him, Man Jiangxue will definitely meet with Gongzi Fan in person, and then they will consider the next steps.

Therefore, in Meng Jing's mind, Yin Qiu was still suffering from the Gu poison and didn't have much time left. Man Jiangxue must have heeded her advice and didn't easily use that dangerous method to cure Yin Qiu. She had been extremely busy developing an antidote lately, and on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, she only had a meal with Elder Xu before rushing to the medical pavilion to immerse herself in the alchemy room, focusing all her attention on that.

Looking at Meng Jing, who was covered in sweat but still maintained a calm demeanor, Yin Qiu felt a mix of emotions. She took the scraper from Meng Jing's hand and said, "You're so tired you can barely lift your arms. Let me help you."

Meng Jing didn't refuse. He put down his hand, took a couple of sips of tea, and looked at Yin Qiu, saying, "You look quite well. How are your internal injuries?"

Yin Qiu said, "It's almost all better."

Meng Jing took her pulse and said gently, "You're better, but you still need to take care of yourself. You should continue taking the medicine I prescribed."

Yin Qiu said, "If you try things without any direction and actually manage to create the antidote, will you even know it yourself?"

Meng Jing nodded: "The book says that the real antidote has a sweet smell and emits a strange fragrance." As she spoke, she suddenly looked at Yin Qiu's wrist and asked, "Senior Sister Ye is dead, why are you still wearing this bracelet?"

Yin Qiu glanced down and remembered that Ye Zhilan had put the bracelet on her at the cliff edge and told her that it was her last birthday gift and that she should not lose it. She felt a little emotional and said, "It's not that I deliberately wanted to wear it, I just kept forgetting to take it off."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jing didn't ask any further questions, but instead asked, "Has Bai Ling returned? How is Fu Xiang doing?"

When this was mentioned, Yin Qiu became slightly somber and began to recount Fu Xiang's experiences to her.

“I’m worried about this, but I can’t leave the palace, and I wouldn’t be able to help much if I went.”

Meng Jing thought for a moment and said, "When Miss Duan left this time, I saw her off. She mentioned that she and Madam Fu are cousins. Since the Luo family and the Duan family are relatives, why don't we ask Miss Duan for help? Although she is a bit reckless, she is still clear-headed and reliable when necessary. If she can persuade Master Duan to step in, Fu Xiang may have a chance to clear her name."

Faced with being framed, Fu Xiang would absolutely not confess, but given time, Fu Cen might calm down and naturally come to terms with the various suspicious points in the matter. The Duan family has always enjoyed dealing with martial arts sects, and even though the Duan family and Mingyue Tower have some familial ties, they are not truly related by marriage. Now that Madam Fu's miscarriage is an irreversible fact, if Fu Xiang can be exonerated, she will still be the future head of Mingyue Tower. Master Duan only needs to think it over for a moment to know that he should help Fu Xiang now. When Fu Xiang ascends to the position of head of the tower, this favor will elevate the relationship between the Duan family and Mingyue Tower to a higher level.

Yin Qiu's eyes lit up with surprise: "Yes, I forgot about Miss Duan." She looked at Meng Jing with more praise in her eyes. "There are some things I really need to ask you. You can always analyze the key points that I can't think of. You're amazing, Senior Brother Meng."

Hearing the praise, Meng Jing was pleased, but he maintained his composure: "Then I will write a letter to inform Miss Duan of this matter. I think she will not stand by and watch her die. Besides, she is so eager to study in the palace. She will not refuse anything that would benefit her."

Yin Qiu instantly perked up: "Okay, do you have pen and ink? I'll write right away."

Meng Jing held out her hand, gesturing for Yin Qiu to return the scraper to her, and said, "Go write next door. It's hot and smelly here. It'll be good for you to get some fresh air."

The thought that Fu Xiang now had a clear path to clear her name eased Yin Qiu's worries and anxieties. Overjoyed, she stood up and handed the scraper to Meng Jing. As their fingertips touched, Yin Qiu felt her wrist loosen. Looking down, she saw that the bracelet Ye Zhilan had given her had suddenly broken and fallen into the pot.

Yin Qiu gasped and quickly reached out to pick it up, but Meng Jing slapped her hand and said, "Be careful, it's hot." Then she used a scraper to lift the bracelet up and looked at Yin Qiu, saying, "...I'm afraid you can't keep it."

To make the pills, the honey and medicinal powder had to be boiled into a paste. The bracelet was already covered in the sticky paste, and the bird feather had turned into a dark, unsightly mess. Yin Qiu glanced at it and said, "Then we don't need it. It's not anything precious. Let's just throw it away."

Meng Jing threw the bracelet into the pile of dregs next to the stove. She stirred the medicine pot, and suddenly, a strange fragrance wafted into her nostrils. It was faint amidst the unpleasant smell in the room, but not hard to detect.

Yin Qiu quickly caught the smell too, and the two exchanged a glance, both showing the same look of surprise.

"This is..." Yin Qiu asked in surprise, leaning closer to the pot to smell it. "Why does it suddenly smell so good?"

Meng Jing frowned slightly, trying to discern the scent. The two remained silent for a moment before simultaneously looking down at the bracelet.

The gold beads on top are gone.