Chapter 71

After Xie Yijun finished bathing and changing her clothes, she returned to her palace and tidied herself up. She said to Ye Zhilan, "Go and invite Jiang Xue to the Plum Garden. I have something to talk to her about."

After the Beginning of Spring, it is a rainy season. Yunhua Mountain has been washed by rain several times, and a fresh spring atmosphere spreads everywhere. Xie Yijun arrived early, sat down in the pavilion, brewed tea, burned incense, and sat quietly for a while. Then, a snow-white and upright figure slowly appeared in the plum grove, like a white cloud adorning the red clouds.

Spring comes earlier on the mountain. The plum trees in the garden have all changed their leaves, and the flower buds are emerging, ready to bloom. People coming from the flower bushes will inevitably get covered in moisture and their sleeves will be wet.

"I heard many rumors back in Jinhuai City. Now that I'm back, I can tell you all about them," Xie Yijun poured tea and gestured for her to sit down.

Man Jiangxue took off her brocade robe, rolled up her slightly damp sleeves, and gently lifted and placed her slender wrist. She picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "Don't take it to heart that you left without saying goodbye to your senior sister that day."

Xie Yijun smiled enigmatically: "How dare I argue with you? Someone who dares to barge into the Ziwei Sect is someone I should be fawning over, how could I dare to blame them?"

Man Jiangxue smiled slightly, tapped her fingertips lightly on the table a few times, and said, "Since the news has already spread, I won't go into details. Just tell me what you want to talk about."

Xie Yijun glanced at her, then lowered her head to smell the aroma of tea, and said calmly, "The Ziwei Sect's headquarters was destroyed, and you successfully brought Yin Qiu back. I have heard a little about what happened that night. What I don't understand is why Nangong Min let you go so easily? And it has been several days since the incident, yet the Ziwei Sect has not made a single move. The rumors in the martial arts world are rampant, but the parties involved have not reacted at all. Don't you find that strange?"

“It’s strange,” Man Jiangxue said, “but I can’t guess why.”

Who can know what Nangong Min is thinking?

Xie Yijun asked, "Who started the fire?"

Man Jiangxue said, "A man wearing a mask, whose origins are still unknown."

Xie Yijun pondered for a moment: "Friend or foe?"

Man Jiangxue said, "At present, he doesn't seem to be an enemy, but he doesn't seem to be a friend either." She paused here and then said, "This person is very mysterious. I have never dealt with him before, so I can ignore him for the time being. However, there are two other people who have had a connection with our Yunhua Palace."

Xie Yijun reacted quickly: "Was it a woman in purple, with a little girl by her side?"

Man Jiangxue said, "That's right. If I'm not mistaken, that woman in purple should be the female knight who injured Qin Zheng for Huaiwei before the New Year."

"After hearing about this, I also thought of this," Xie Yijun narrowed her eyes. "However, coincidentally, I ran into them during my trip to Mingyue Tower."

Man Jiangxue raised her eyes and asked, "Have you figured out their origins?"

“That woman’s name is Meng Wugui,” Xie Yijun said. “She is one of the Nine Immortals of the Nine Immortals Hall.”

Nine Immortals Hall? Man Jiangxue was slightly surprised, then showed a knowing look: "Since it is Nine Immortals Hall, then it is not surprising."

No wonder that woman not only obtained the map of the Ziwei Sect's headquarters, but also dared to come and go as she pleased in front of Nangong Min. If it were anyone else, it would indeed be strange, but since she was one of the Nine Immortals, it was not surprising at all.

“It seems that child is quite precious,” Xie Yijun chuckled. “First, a mysterious sect was willing to attack the Ziwei Sect for her, and then the Jiuxian Hall, which rarely ventures into the world, stepped forward to protect her. That’s interesting.”

Man Jiangxue didn't respond to this, but she knew very well what Xie Yijun meant by those words.

The fact that someone would go to such lengths for Yin Qiu's safety suggests they are not just a philanthropist acting on a whim. The masked man and Meng Wugui are very likely to have some unknown connection with Shen Mandong.

“Back then, the Ruyi Sect suffered heavy casualties. Almost all the capable people died, and only a handful survived, but they were all nameless,” Xie Yijun said thoughtfully, her eyes deep. “Moreover, many of those people joined our Yunhua Palace, and the rest returned to civilian life, no longer concerned with the affairs of the martial world. Even for those whose whereabouts are unknown, it is extremely difficult to become a member of the Nine Immortals Hall, let alone to become the hall master. Therefore, Meng Wugui is unlikely to be a former member of the Ruyi Sect. And that masked man is clearly quite powerful, and he is not someone that an unknown nobody could easily transform into. He is probably not a former member of the Ruyi Sect either.”

It was a cloudy day, but the sky was somewhat bright. Light shone through the bamboo blinds, reflecting the slight ripples in the tea. Man Jiangxue reached out and brushed away the fragrant steam, saying, "But to be able to enter and leave the Ziwei Sect in order to rescue Yin Qiu, even if they are not old members of the Ruyi Sect, they must have a great connection with the Ruyi Sect."

"Could it be Man Dong?" Xie Yijun's brow twitched as she speculated, "She wields the Holy Sword and is being secretly pursued by multiple forces. On the surface, it seems only Yunhua and Ziwei Sect are searching for her, but in reality, which sect wouldn't want to find her first? If it's inconvenient for Man Dong to show her face, and she heard that Yin Qiu has fallen into Nangong Min's hands, so she sent these two to rescue her, it's not impossible."

Man Jiangxue shook her head: "If Senior Sister is manipulating things behind the scenes, why doesn't she return to the palace to acknowledge us?" She looked up at a bird perched on a plum branch, "If Senior Sister is truly alive, what is she hiding from by delaying her return to the palace?"

Xie Yijun paused in pouring tea, a hint of mystery creeping into her eyes: "If Meng Wugui is connected to Mandong, and Mingyue Tower was able to invite Meng Wugui to come out of seclusion, then it means that Mingyue Tower is definitely not clean either. If there isn't some kind of relationship or business dealings, how much influence does Fu Cen have to invite Meng Wugui to celebrate his marriage to a concubine?" At this point, she gave a meaningful snort, "Now it seems that Mingyue Tower has no successor, only a daughter, yet Fu Cen has dumped his only child on me. I'm afraid he has ulterior motives."

Man Jiangxue turned her head to look at her: "According to what you said, Fu Cen and Meng Wugui have some dealings, and Meng Wugui may be on the same side as Senior Sister. Then there is no reason for them to hide it from us. Based on your analysis, it seems as if they want to deal with Yunhua Palace."

Whether Meng Wugui and Fu Cen had such intentions is another matter. If Shen Mandong hadn't died, why would she have gone after Yunhua Palace? Shouldn't she have returned as soon as possible to reunite with Yin Qiu? Abandoning her daughter and old friends to mingle with those two is clearly unreasonable.

“Indeed, it doesn’t make sense…” Xie Yijun frowned deeply, and finally sighed, “Forget it, the matter of Mandong has always been a mystery. Just guessing is nothing but empty talk. Now I have to guard against Mingyue Tower as well. It’s really a headache.”

“The new disciple competition is approaching,” Man Jiangxue said. “If Fu Xiang comes out on top, you should promise to take her as your disciple.”

“She has become a variable,” Xie Yijun said, rubbing her temples. “I didn’t pay much attention to Yin Qiu before, but I heard that she has some talent and is extremely hardworking. Now that I think about it, Fu Xiang is no good. Right now, I just hope that Yin Qiu can live up to expectations and get first place in the new disciple competition.”

Man Jiangxue naturally hoped that Yin Qiu could excel, but she still truthfully said, "It's uncertain; she might not be able to beat Fu Xiang."

“I have made up my mind,” Xie Yijun said in a deep voice. “No matter who wins, I will keep Yin Qiu by my side.”

"If it really doesn't work..." Man Jiangxue pondered, but before she could finish her sentence, she seemed to have thought of something and finally just sighed softly.

"Fine, you're the sect leader, so you can decide."

·

On the mountain path leading to Chenxing Palace, there is an arched bridge spanning a stream. When Manjiangxue has nothing to do, he often stands on that bridge for a while.

The stream is clear and cold, flowing from the mountaintop to the bottom. Any worries or troubles can be washed away by the flowing water if you pause for a moment on this bridge.

Jingyue Peak has no fragrance of flowers. There are only red maples that remain red for three seasons. When the leaves fall, Jingyue Peak is just a bare maple forest with few flowers. The only brightly colored one is the clivia, which is one of the few plants that Manjiangxue likes.

Clivia plants were placed inside and outside Chenxing Palace. Normally, only a few green spots could be seen, but today was different. A touch of rouge red had suddenly been mixed into the green, making it particularly eye-catching.

Man Jiangxue stopped at the entrance of the courtyard. Just like a few days ago, a familiar petite figure was sitting at the entrance of the palace.

As the evening breeze grew cool, Yin Qiu's clothes fluttered gently in the wind, like a stream tinged with the glow of sunset. With her eyes half-closed, she leaned against the doorframe in a relaxed posture, her sleeping face appearing very peaceful.

Man Jiangxue watched her from afar for a while, then stepped into the courtyard. When she passed by Yin Qiu, she didn't look at her or say anything, as if she couldn't see Yin Qiu at all.

The two passed each other in silence. Man Jiangxue changed her clothes behind the screen and came out to find Yin Qiu still sitting there.

Man Jiangxue found it amusing, but remained calm on the surface. She summoned her secret guards to serve the food, and as she picked up the silver chopsticks to pick up some dishes, she finally met Yin Qiu's aggrieved and puzzled gaze.

“My martial uncle is ignoring me,” Yin Qiu said.

“Since you like to pretend to be asleep, I won’t disturb you.” Man Jiangxue withdrew her gaze and placed the porcelain bowl containing the food beside her.

“You should have picked me up like that day,” Yin Qiu stood up, brushing the dust off her skirt. “Why didn’t you pick me up today?”

Man Jiangxue looked at her calmly and said coldly, "I don't want to hug you today."

Yin Qiu paused for a moment, then looked annoyed, but immediately burst into laughter. She ran towards Man Jiangxue, hugged her tightly, and said with a beaming smile, "Then I can hug you."

The hall was brightly lit with plenty of lamps, and in the warm candlelight, Yin Qiu smiled radiantly, looking charming and pretty. Her rouge-red dress accentuated her fair skin and jet-black hair, and her eyes were lively and bright, making her extremely beautiful.

Man Jiangxue noticed that Yin Qiu seemed to have grown up a bit more. Her face was delicate and playful, and her temperament was gentle and quiet. The two special features blended together perfectly and were very pleasing to the eye. Man Jiangxue couldn't help but take a few more glances at Yin Qiu, and pressed her to sit down, saying, "You seem to be in a good mood today. You even changed into a new outfit."

This dress was bought for Yin Qiu by Man Jiangxue in Shangyuan City on her birthday. She had never had a chance to wear it until now. With the arrival of spring, the disciples in the courtyard all changed into spring clothes sent by their families, and Yin Qiu joined in the fun.

"Does it look good?" Yin Qiu asked, slightly embarrassed.

Man Jiangxue originally wanted to tease her a little and say something ironic, but Yin Qiu's little face looked so expectant that she sincerely praised her, "Beautiful."

Overjoyed, Yin Qiu replied in return, "Uncle-Master is handsome too."

These past few days, Yin Qiu has returned to the disciples' courtyard and hasn't come to Jingyue Peak again. Man Jiangxue looked her over for a moment and said, "Fu Xiang came back today. Judging from your appearance, you must have cleared up the misunderstanding with her?"

Yin Qiu hummed in agreement: "Uncle-Master really can guess everything." She smiled and said, "There was no misunderstanding. I was just overthinking it. Fu Xiang and I are still good friends."

Man Jiangxue originally didn't want to ask any more questions, but her conversation with Xie Yijun flashed through her mind, so she asked calmly, "So what did you misunderstand about her?"

Yin Qiu, unaware of Man Jiangxue's intentions, honestly said, "It's like this: Meng Jing told me that she met Fu Xiang once when she was in Qingluo City, and said that she already knew martial arts before coming to Yunhua Palace. After hearing this, I couldn't help but wonder why Fu Xiang would hide her skills. So today when she came back, I sparred with her a few times. However, she was very honest and admitted that she had learned martial arts before."

Upon hearing this, Man Jiangxue's eyes flickered slightly, and she glanced at Yin Qiu, asking, "Has she studied martial arts before?"

Yin Qiu was focused on eating and didn't notice Man Jiangxue's expression. She replied, "Yes, she's really amazing. I doubt many of the new disciples in our academy could beat her."

Upon hearing this, Man Jiangxue naturally fell silent.

As she was pondering this, she heard Yin Qiu say, "I was wondering before, since Fu Xiang knows kung fu, why did Master Fu send her to the palace to learn martial arts? I only found out after asking that Fu Xiang was keeping it a secret, and even Master Fu didn't know that she knew kung fu."

Man Jiangxue frowned and asked, "Did she say why she wanted to hide this matter?"

Yin Qiu replied, "I asked her that too. Fu Xiang said she didn't want to stay at Mingyue Tower. Master Fu didn't like her, and the people in the tower didn't treat her like a young lady. She was treated worse than a guest at home. She would rather come to Yunhua Palace to live a more comfortable and carefree life."

Man Jiangxue then concluded that Fu Cen was unaware that his daughter already possessed martial arts skills, and that Fu Xiang was someone who kept her abilities hidden.

It seems Xie Yijun was right; Mingyue Tower really does need to be on guard.

“In that case, you probably won’t be able to beat her in the new disciple tournament,” Man Jiangxue said.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Yin Qiu said. “We agreed that we can’t use other skills, we can only use the skills we learned in martial arts class to compete, otherwise it would be unfair to the other participating disciples. In this way, I still have a chance to win.”

Man Jiangxue paused for a moment, then looked at Yin Qiu and asked, "So, do you still want to become the sect leader's disciple?"

Yin Qiu glanced at her and said with a hint of resentment, "I have no choice but to think about it. The only way to stay in the palace is to become the sect leader's disciple. If I go to another peak, Senior Sister Lu might send me outside the palace to train, and I can only come back during the New Year." She sighed almost imperceptibly and continued, "It's because my master won't accept me as a disciple. I have no other way out but to study hard and prepare for the new disciple assembly."

Listening to her rambling, which was full of self-deprecation, Man Jiangxue smiled and said, "Then let's talk about beating Fu Xiang first."

Yin Qiu wanted to ask, "What if we lose?" but then she thought that if she said that, Man Jiangxue would definitely lecture her for lacking confidence, so Yin Qiu stopped herself in time and said casually, "What good would it do if we won?"

“There are ways to say you’ve won.” Man Jiangxue smiled demurely.

Yin Qiu thought she was going to say something, but it would be pointless anyway, so she couldn't help but retort, "How could I not know that..."

With her eyes lowered, she dared not look at Man Jiangxue after saying this, afraid of being beaten. Her mouth was stuffed with a big mouthful of food, her cheeks bulging out. With each chew, her ears twitched, making her look like a little rabbit.

Man Jiangxue, itching to do so, pinched her soft earlobe as a small punishment.

After the meal, the two sat around the stove to digest their food. Man Jiangxue reminded them, "The cold snap of spring hasn't arrived yet. It will be cold for a while in spring. Remember to wear more clothes. Even if your spring clothes look nice, don't force yourself to wear them, or you'll catch a cold."

Yin Qiu nodded obediently, glanced at the sky, and said, "It's getting late, I have to go back."

Man Jiangxue then stood up, took Yin Qiu's hand, and said, "I'll see you off."

Yin Qiu lingered against her for a moment, then said very sensibly, "No need, I can go back by myself. Just let my uncle see me out of the courtyard."

The two of them went out together and descended the steps. It was getting dark, and lanterns were being hung up everywhere. The chilly spring night was a bit damp, with a thin mist and water vapor in the wind. Yin Qiu shrank her head and held hands with Man Jiangxue. As they passed through the familiar courtyard, Yin Qiu saw the red maple leaves that looked like mist and smoke. For a moment, she had the absurd illusion that she was still in the Ziwei Sect.

Yunhua Mountain is high and receives plenty of sunshine all year round, so the maple trees grow exceptionally well. The Ziwei Sect headquarters is located in a low-lying area and is surrounded by high mountains on all sides. Due to insufficient sunlight, the maple trees there are much less impressive.

As Yin Qiu looked at the layers upon layers of maple leaves, a sentence suddenly came to mind.

"I can only tell you that Man Jiangxue did not attend either your parents' wedding or your mother's childbirth, these two important days."

This is a mystery that Nangong Min left for Yin Qiu.

She didn't reveal the reason behind it; she only said that if Yin Qiu knew the reason, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to accept it.

So what exactly is it? What is it that she finds unacceptable?

Yin Qiu suddenly thought of this, and her curiosity was aroused once again. However, when she turned to look at Man Jiangxue, she couldn't bring herself to ask the question even though the words were on the tip of her tongue.

Even Nangong Min was unwilling to tell her easily, so would her martial uncle definitely tell her?

The answer is obvious.

Yin Qiu hesitated, but ultimately swallowed her question.

She thought to herself that she must find a good opportunity to ask him clearly.