Chapter 66

Fu Xiang pushed open the door and entered the room. She took off her disciple's robe, which had been spilled with wine, and drank some cold tea. A moment later, clean clothes were brought to her.

"Miss, this is a new dress that Madam made a few days ago. She hasn't worn it yet. Please try it on and see if it fits." The maid closed the door and stood respectfully by the table, holding a brand-new peach-colored silk dress.

Fu Xiang glanced at the clothes and thought the color was too gaudy. She disliked it but said, "Since it's my clothes, how can I wear them?"

Upon hearing her use the term "little lady," the maid lowered her head and smiled, "Madam said that it's a gift for Miss. You don't often stay in the building, so we don't know your clothing size, but judging from the fact that Madam is about the same size as you, it should fit you. Miss, please try it on."

Fu Xiang sat down at the table, looked at the clothes, and asked, "Where is she from?"

The maid replied, "It's very close; it's the eldest daughter of the Luo family in Jinhuai City."

Fu Xiang then asked, "And their age?"

The maid said, "She will turn eighteen next month."

Upon hearing this, Fu Xiang scoffed, "Only five years older than me? My father is something else, marrying someone so young as my stepmother."

Upon hearing this, the maid looked embarrassed and gave a couple of awkward laughs.

"Go down, I don't need anyone to wait on me." Fu Xiang turned around.

The maid looked at her: "Then this dress..."

Fu Xiang paused, not wanting to make things difficult for her, and waved her hand, saying, "Put it down, and please convey my thanks for me."

"Understood, then Miss, please get some rest."

As night fell, the liveliness of Mingyue Tower remained undiminished. The commotion outside, which had lasted all day, had not subsided even now. Fu Xiang hung his disciple robe, which had been stained with wine, by the window to air out the smell. There was a low couch under the window with a thin quilt folded on it. Fu Xiang had been persuaded to drink two cups of wine at the banquet earlier, and his head was a little hot, so he lay down on the couch to let the cool breeze blow on him and clear his mind.

She rested her head on her arms, pretending to be asleep, but she was actually quite awake. So when she heard the deliberately light footsteps outside the window, Fu Xiang gently opened her eyes and met the furtive figure in the corridor.

"Take this!" A lithe and petite figure suddenly leaped through the window, straddled Fu Xiang without any hesitation, and launched a series of attacks at her.

Fu Xiang stared blankly at the person above her, too lazy to even move.

"Why do you look so listless?" The little girl, carrying a bow on her back, smiled and nudged her. "Come on! It's been so long! Let me see what skills you've learned at Yunhua Palace!"

Fu Xiang said, "Boring."

The little girl laughed heartily: "Come on! It's been so long since we've sparred, get up!"

Fu Xiang ignored her.

The little girl didn't seem to mind making a fool of herself. She kept scratching Fu Xiang with both hands, looking very interested. Fu Xiang endured it for a while, but finally said impatiently, "Get away! I'm not in the mood to mess around with you right now."

"You were so fierce the moment we met," the little girl threw herself into her arms and said meaningfully, "Now that you have a bride, you don't want me and your master anymore. You have no conscience!"

Fu Xiang shoved her aside: "Believe it or not, I'll beat you up?"

The little girl laughed heartily, then nimbly flipped over and landed on her feet, saying, "You're always bullying me! If you're unhappy about it, go beat up your dad!"

This girl was always outspoken and knew how to hit people where it hurt. Fu Xiang wanted to teach her a lesson, so she swept her leg and kicked her. The girl dodged the kick and shouted towards the door, "Master! Look at my senior sister! She attacked me as soon as we met!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the door creaked open, and Meng Wugui walked in gracefully. The first thing she said to the little girl was, "Afu, don't be silly."

The little girl stuck out her tongue and grinned at Fu Xiang.

Fu Xiang quickly pulled out a chair, made a "please" gesture, and bowed, saying, "Master."

“I wasn’t planning on coming,” Meng Wugui said, getting straight to the point after taking a seat. “But when I heard that Fu Cen asked you to come back, I decided to come and see how things are going.”

Fu Xiang stood ramrod straight, frowned and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Master, I haven't made any progress yet."

Upon hearing this, Afu immediately said, "Fine, I'll say it! I should have sent me to Yunhua Palace!"

Fu Xiang rolled her eyes at her, and Meng Wugui continued, "I told you to take good care of Yin Qiu, but Wen Chaoyu got her. As a result, your junior sister and I had to show our faces in public. This time I appeared at Mingyue Tower again. In less than two days, Nangong Min will definitely get the information, and then she will know my identity."

Fu Xiang looked apologetic: "This...it was my carelessness."

After thinking for a moment, Meng Wugui said, "But you can't be blamed. We'll have to confront the Ziwei Sect sooner or later. It doesn't matter if it's sooner or later. Besides, Nangong Min shouldn't be targeting Yin Qiu anymore, so you only have one task left."

Fu Xiang paused for a moment, then stammered, "My movements are restricted in Yunhua Palace, and I can't make much contact with people. I'm afraid what my master wants me to find won't be so easy to obtain."

“So I’ve changed my mind,” Meng Wugui said, looking at her. “You don’t need to find that thing. I have other plans. What you need to do next is to win first place in the new disciple assembly and become Xie Yijun’s last disciple.”

This matter had been agreed upon long ago, but Fu Xiang's state of mind had changed this time, and she honestly said, "Master, I'm willing to listen to you on other matters, but I'm really not willing to acknowledge Xie Yijun as my master."

Meng Wugui frowned slightly: "If you want to return to Mingyue Tower, this is the only way."

Recalling Fu Cen's attitude towards her today, Fu Xiang's face turned cold: "But I don't want to go back to Mingyue Tower. Staying in Yunhua Palace is fine too."

Meng Wugui scrutinized her for a while and said, "If you don't return to Mingyue Tower, my plan will have to be completely overturned. As long as you become Xie Yijun's apprentice, Fu Cen will summon you back to inherit the position of young master. Once you have completely taken over Mingyue Tower, we can do the rest of the work. What use is it for you to stay in Yunhua Palace?"

"Haven't you heard my youngest daughter is only eighteen?" Fu Xiang sighed. "So young, she might give birth to a son next year. Why would my father value me?"

“That’s why you should return to Mingyue Tower before she gives birth,” Meng Wugui said. “The new disciple conference will be held this August, so there is still plenty of time. Even if she gives birth, it may not be a son. Even if she does give birth to a son, an infant in swaddling clothes is useless. If Fu Cen has any brains, even if he doesn’t like you, he should still train you before that child grows up.”

Fu Xiang moved her lips, but Meng Wugui spoke up first: "If she really gave birth to a son, wouldn't you use some means to make sure he doesn't survive?"

Fu Xiang was slightly taken aback, then her expression changed as she said, "Master means..."

Meng Wugui didn't spell it out, only saying, "In short, the reason I want you to acknowledge Xie Yijun as your master is so that you can return to Mingyue Tower as soon as possible. Your biggest goal is to become the master of Mingyue Tower. I have already discussed the details with you several times. Why are you still hesitating now? Did I raise you to adulthood just so that you could live a mediocre life in Yunhua Palace?"

Years ago, after Fu Xiang was born, Madam Fu died in childbirth. Fu Cen was both grieving and angry, and sent Fu Xiang to a distant relative's house overnight. For thirteen years, he ignored her completely. That relative did not treat Fu Xiang well. Only her wet nurse took good care of her. Over the years, it was Meng Wugui who secretly took her in as a disciple, taught her martial arts and reading. Without Meng Wugui, there would be no Fu Xiang today.

“I will never forget Master’s kindness in raising me,” Fu Xiang said, kneeling down. “I just… I have no feelings for Mingyue Tower. Although my time in Yunhua Palace was short, I was happier than ever before. Besides, don’t forget that Yin Qiu has always wanted to be number one. She wants to be with Master Man, so she can only become Xie Yijun’s disciple. Only in this way can she get close to Master Man. Otherwise, she will be assigned to another peak. How can I compete with her?”

Meng Wugui said, "You should be able to tell what's important and what's not. If you can return to Mingyue Tower, it will be entirely beneficial to her." She paused and then added, "But if Yin Qiu has the ability to defeat you, that's her skill."

Then Afu, who was standing to the side, interjected, "Senior Sister has trained hard for many years. Would it be reasonable for her to lose to Yin Qiu?"

Fu Xiang kept his head down and remained silent.

Meng Wugui sighed softly, stood up and said, "In short, you must do your best to follow everything I say tonight, and prioritize the overall situation. When you achieve what I want, you will regain your freedom and live the life you want."

Fu Xiang was stunned: "I just want to be with Master..."

“Then do as I say,” Meng Wugui gazed at her. “The Master of Mingyue Tower can only be you.”

·

The rain lashed the branches and leaves, ravaging the red maple leaves in the courtyard. The withered leaves and broken branches were scattered all over the ground, soaked in the gurgling rain, like a painting wrapped in bright rouge.

Yin Qiu squatted at the entrance of the palace with a bowl of milk sugar dumplings in her hand. While eating, she watched the maple trees outside swaying wildly in the wind. Several dim lanterns hung from the eaves, casting a lingering red glow. Looking at the halo, Yin Qiu said, "Today is the Lantern Festival. Mingyue Tower should be holding a wedding. I wonder how Fu Xiang is doing."

Man Jiangxue knelt before the long table, with a small stove beside her, on which was a pot of thick, sweet lactose dumplings. Hearing Yin Qiu's voice, she picked up a wooden spoon and stirred the pot for a moment, saying, "With your Senior Sister Ye here, there's no need to worry about her being alone."

Yin Qiu thought to herself that although Ye Zhilan was gentle and steady, she was the senior disciple of the palace sect and always maintained a certain distance from the disciples. Even if Fu Xiang was in a bad mood, he probably wouldn't be able to have many intimate words with her.

"If only she were here," Yin Qiu thought. "With her here, Fu Xiang would be much happier."

"Are you finished eating?" Man Jiangxue tapped the edge of the pot. "Who eats while squatting at the door? Come and sit down."

Yin Qiu finished the remaining sweet soup in her bowl, then quickly ran back to Man Jiangxue's side and sat down, laughing, "Why can't I squat by the door to eat?"

Man Jiangxue said, "Only puppies would squat at the door to eat."

Yin Qiu glared at Man Jiangxue, but seeing the smile on her lips, she didn't argue and said with a grin, "A puppy is fine, I'm not full yet, Uncle-Master, give me another bowl."

Man Jiangxue then served her another bowl and said, "Now that you've returned to the palace, just do what you're supposed to do. You missed half a month of classes and didn't participate in the martial arts test. The new disciple assembly will be held in August, so go back to school tomorrow and study hard. Don't be lazy."

"Is the new disciple assembly in August?" Yin Qiu was surprised. "I thought it would be held in winter."

Man Jiangxue said, "It's held every August as scheduled. Who told you it's in winter?"

Yin Qiu muttered, "I entered the palace in winter... So I'm at a huge loss? I haven't even completed a full year of training."

Man Jiangxue glanced at her with a smile: "So what if it hasn't been a full year? If you really worked hard, a few months won't make a difference." She added, "I had only been in the palace for a little over two months when the new disciple assembly happened to be held. According to you, who should I complain to?"

Yin Qiu said, "But how can I compare to my martial uncle?" She asked curiously, "What place did your martial uncle get?"

Man Jiangxue smiled slightly: "Do you even need to ask?"

Yin Qiu exclaimed in surprise, "First place?!"

Man Jiangxue hummed in agreement.

Yin Qiu was filled with envy and said admiringly, "Uncle-Master is so amazing, I don't have that ability."

Man Jiangxue said, "Have you forgotten what I taught you again?"

Yin Qiu said, "I haven't forgotten, I remember it," but she couldn't help but sigh, "But what's the use of confidence? To get first place, you need strength. It's hard to have confidence without ability."

Hearing her mature and sophisticated tone, Man Jiangxue chuckled softly: "It is indeed a bit difficult for you. I had already practiced martial arts before entering the palace, so the new disciple competition is nothing to me." After saying that, she looked at Yin Qiu and said, "But if you don't have confidence, even if you practice your skills well, you may not be able to win when you get on the field."

Upon hearing these words, Yin Qiu immediately thought of Man Jiangxue's background.

After leaving the Ziwei Sect, Yin Qiu was so immersed in the joy of reuniting with Man Jiangxue that she didn't have time to think about anything else. But at this moment, when she heard Man Jiangxue say that she had already practiced martial arts before entering the palace, Yin Qiu couldn't help but recall the words that Nangong Min had told her.

The charcoal fire wasn't burning very brightly, with sparks flickering on and off. The glutinous rice balls in the small pot were boiling intermittently, emitting a continuous sweet aroma. Wisps of white steam rose up, swirling around Man Jiangxue's white clothes and black hair. Looking at her calm, smiling face, Yin Qiu couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

She suddenly remembered what the person in front of her had been, and what turmoil and past he had experienced.

Even though Yin Qiu had never personally experienced what happened before, and could not imagine the full picture of what happened back then, Man Jiangxue was sitting beside her at this moment, real and complete, calm and serene, which naturally gave Yin Qiu a subtle feeling.

It was as if the bright moon in the sky had somehow descended to her side. No one knew that Man Jiangxue had once been that bright moon, but Yin Qiu knew in her heart that her martial aunt was that incomparably precious moon that had remained on earth.

The main hall door was open, and a cold wind carrying a fine, soft drizzle entered the spacious and quiet Chenxing Hall. Man Jiangxue held a book in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. She hadn't heard Yin Qiu speak for a long time, and just as she was about to look up at her, Yin Qiu suddenly rushed into her arms and hugged her tightly.

His slender body was soft and warm, nestled gently in her arms, yet wrapped tightly around her.

Man Jiangxue lowered her eyes, saw the fluffy head, and smelled the fresh scent of soap. She dropped what she was holding, and her palm gently stroked up Yin Qiu's thin back. Finally, she picked up the braid hanging down by her ear and shook it, saying, "What's wrong?"

Yin Qiu rubbed against her chest twice without saying a word.

Man Jiangxue patiently touched her face and asked again, "What's wrong?"

For some reason, Yin Qiu felt an indescribable sadness welling up inside her. She nestled in Man Jiangxue's arms, her eyes secretly reddening. She wanted to ask her if what Nangong Min had said was true, but then she suddenly remembered that the day before the written exam, when she and Man Jiangxue were in the pavilion, Man Jiangxue had said that things that could be easily brought up meant that they had been let go. Although she had mentioned some things about Man Jiangxue's background to Yin Qiu, they were only fragments. Did this mean that she hadn't really let go, which was why she hadn't brought it up easily?

This means that if Man Jiangxue doesn't bring it up, Yin Qiu can't just ask, no matter how much she wants to know what happened back then.

After a long while, Yin Qiu finally remembered something to say to Man Jiangxue, and said in a low voice, "Before... Senior Sister Lu told me something."

Man Jiangxue listened quietly: "What is it?"

Yin Qiu nuzzled her a few more times, taking the opportunity to wipe away the tears welling up in her eyes, and said, "She said that although I missed the martial arts exam, I got first place in the literary exam."

Man Jiangxue raised her eyes and said with a smile, "Really?"

Yin Qiu said, "Hmm..."

"Then why do you look unhappy?" Man Jiangxue lowered her head and looked at Yin Qiu's face, which she was hiding.

“Happy…” Yin Qiu tilted her head, revealing half of her profile.

"Kaixin?" Man Jiangxue scrutinized her for a moment. "Why are Kaixin's eyes red?"

Yin Qiu glanced at her, pursed her lips and smiled, "I'm crying tears of joy."

Man Jiangxue slightly curled the corners of her mouth: "You're crying tears of joy again. You really are prone to crying tears of joy."

Yin Qiu rolled over, looked up at Man Jiangxue, and said with a wronged expression, "Is that not allowed?"

Man Jiangxue said, "Okay."

"Then you're making fun of me."

"Is that not allowed?"

"Of course not."

Man Jiangxue pinched her cheek, her tone playful: "But I've already made a joke, what are you going to do about it?"

The soft lamplight illuminated the two figures embracing, casting long shadows on the ground not far away. Yin Qiu looked up at Man Jiangxue's face so close to hers, her heart filled with a mix of emotions, both bittersweet.

She gazed intently at Man Jiangxue and said, "I want a kiss from my martial uncle."

The author has something to say: Nangong Min: "You look just like a puppy eagerly waiting to be fed."

Yin Qiu: "Why are you swearing?"

Man Jiangxue: "Only puppies would squat at the door to eat."

Yin Qiu: "A puppy is fine!"

Goodness, they have two faces.