Chapter 257 Xie Lingjiang: I was here first!

The embroiderer's slender figure appeared in front of the Sutra Copying Hall Square.

Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been crying.

They arrived, travel-worn and weary.

In particular, after seeing the indifferent figure of a woman in a white fox fur coat waiting ahead with a stern face.

Xie Lingjiang noticed that the embroiderer had her hands behind her back, her head slightly lowered, and her hurried steps slowed down a bit.

She appears even more delicate and fragile, making her all the more endearing.

Like a homeless, wet kitten timidly returning, making you want to reach out and rub its head.

However, Xie Lingjiang knew the strength of this mute girl in Wu Qun; she could easily cut off Liu Fu's arm. Her slender frame carrying a three-foot-long sword made her seem even stronger.

However, the mute girl, who seemed to have rushed back from Di Gongzha, was nowhere to be found.

Her little face looked somewhat blank and lost, as if she had lost her anchor, anxious and absent-minded...

Just as Xie Lingjiang frowned in confusion.

"You still know to come over?"

Even though the two were still quite far apart, Xue Zhongzhu spoke up, his face taut:

"Hide, why don't you keep hiding? You know how to hide, right? As long as I don't catch you, you can sneak out and then secretly go back without anyone noticing. Your good senior sisters can all cover for you."

"Ah..." The embroiderer lowered her head even further and walked over obediently.

This repeated mistake, yet still honest, obedient, and remorseful demeanor, infuriated Xue Zhongzhu even more.

"Today in Dragon City, the Ding Sword has been born, and all sorts of people are mixed together. Don't you know that?"

"It's one thing to break the curfew and leave the palace without permission, but to come to Longcheng and not only fail to help, but also hide from me everywhere, even going to the upper reaches of Yue Nu Gorge, where the dam just collapsed. I don't know what you're looking for?"

Xue Zhongzhu, wearing a white fox fur shawl, turned to the side, closed his eyes, and spoke coldly, his back to the embroiderer, refusing to look at her.

In the distance, the embroiderer stopped, uttered an empty "ah," and looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Your Majesty has misunderstood."

Xie Lingjiang listened for a while, then suddenly interjected:

"Your junior sister was here just now, and she also went to Deer Cry Street at the foot of the mountain. I've met her a few times. She should... she should also be helping the Great Queen search for the Cauldron Sword. As for why she went to Yue Nu Gorge..."

She thought for a moment and guessed in her tone:

“Your Highness, you may not know this, but your junior sister once passed by the Di Gong Sluice Gate and saved my senior brother with her sword. He is the magistrate of Longcheng County and has the responsibility to control floods and save the people. I suppose this young lady is also concerned about the people of Longcheng and has a kind heart. That's why she rushed to the upstream Di Gong Sluice Gate when it collapsed, thinking that the flood would bring disaster to the people. It's not like you think, that she was just sightseeing and neglecting her duties.”

Xuezhongzhu frowned, glanced sideways at the embroiderer, and asked with his eyes if that was true.

"Ah ah."

Unexpectedly, the mute girl in the distance shook her head honestly, lowered her head and dared not look at Xie Lingjiang, who was speaking up for her. A complex expression, which the latter could not understand, appeared on her face, which was hidden by her hair. It seemed to contain... guilt?

Xuezhongzhu gave a soft hum, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Xie Lingjiang looked astonished.

At this moment, Ouyang Rong lay unconscious in Xie Lingjiang's arms. Xie Lingjiang knelt amidst the ruins, facing Xuezhongzhu, her tall and slender figure turned to the side of the embroiderer, temporarily blocking the embroiderer's view as she slowly approached from afar.

The embroiderer returned and walked into the plaza of the Sutra Copying Hall. Her face, which had been slightly dejected, showed some curiosity and doubt as she looked around at the ruins-like mess in the plaza.

Xuezhongzhu left Xie Lingjiang behind, seemingly wanting to avoid her and talk to his junior sister.

The Great Queen of Yunmeng walked straight toward the embroiderer, blocking the latter's view of the scene in the square:

"Stop looking. You're so late, everyone's already disappeared. Do you think they're all like you, wandering around aimlessly?" The tone was harsh.

The embroiderer lowered her head, took a step forward, and reached out to grab the senior sister's sleeve, but was brushed away by Xue Zhongzhu's large sleeve.

Because Xuezhongzhu blocked her way, Xiu Niang did not continue to approach Xie Lingjiang's side, and the two women stood together at a distance.

Xuezhongzhu took a deep breath and his face turned cold:

"Seventh Junior Sister, you used to be the most obedient and sensible among the junior sisters in the hall. Before Master passed away, he was most pleased and relieved about you. But since three months ago, you have started to act strangely."

"You won the Peach Valley Sword Competition, but you were distracted throughout. I sent you down the mountain to Dragon City to investigate the old alliance, but you lingered there for a long time with flimsy excuses, and you haven't returned in a while. Now you've repeatedly sneaked into this county..."

The acting Queen of Yunmeng Palace suddenly turned her head, stared into the embroiderer's eyes, and asked, "Is there someone here whom you can't forget?"

Compared to the embroiderer's flustered expression, Xie Lingjiang's expression as she eavesdropped was even more interesting.

She was somewhat shocked, turning her head to look at the mute girl with her head down not far away, unable to process the amount of information in Xue Zhongzhu's words for a moment.

"Zhao... Zhao Qingxiu? You... you are the Yue maiden of the Queen's Palace, Zhao Qingxiu?"

Xie Lingjiang frowned and called out to them.

Xuezhongzhu turned her back to Xie Lingjiang, ignoring her and even pretending that she and Ouyang Rong did not exist.

She led Zhao Qingxiu a little further away, and Xue Zhongzhu fixed her eyes on Zhao Qingxiu, saying:

Is he also in this county?

"Ah?" The embroiderer's expression became visibly flustered.

She was not one to lie, and this expression naturally did not escape Xue Zhongzhu's sharp eyes.

"Ah, the sickly boy who was your child bride back in your hometown is now in this county, isn't he? You're looking for him."

The candle in the snow spoke with an indescribable certainty.

The embroiderer looked away, seemingly ashamed beyond measure.

Meanwhile, Xie Lingjiang, who was tightly embracing her senior brother, had a blank expression on her face.

The famous Yue maiden Zhao Qingxiu was actually a mute girl, and... she even had a missing finger on her right hand. She was such a pitiful person.

But she is the current virgin of the Lady's Palace, and the first in line to succeed "Yuanjun," the leader of Yunmeng Sword Marsh.

Her legal standing is even higher than that of the current acting Queen Xue Zhongzhu.

Since the first Yue maiden who slew all the dragons in the mountains and rivers of Wu and Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period, almost every subsequent Yue maiden has been a legend.

For example, a thousand years ago, in the procession that presented the "elixir of immortality" to the First Emperor, besides the first person in history to wield a sword, there was also a maiden from Yue who accompanied them. Together, they severed a significant portion of the Qin Dynasty's fate.

Over the course of a thousand years, Yue Chuzi even killed a Confucian sage who went down in history.

These three words have become a legend both inside and outside the world for thousands of years, almost equivalent to the reincarnation of the founder of Yunmeng Sword Marsh. However, Yue Chuzi inherited the mythical spirituality, and only the active and spiritual white ape can find this unique Yue maiden in the Wu and Yue lands...

Xie Lingjiang let out a long breath, gradually digesting the unbelievable information before her.

However, after the Peach Valley Sword Inquiry, wasn't there a rumor that the contemporary Yue maiden Zhao Qingxiu was as aloof and incomparable as a celestial being, never speaking to men outside the sect... Wait, it turns out that it was because she was a mute girl and really couldn't speak.

No wonder outsiders think she's aloof and introverted; it's just the perspective of those unreliable men looking up to her, thinking that virgins are unattainable, which leads to rumors and misleads Xie Lingjiang.

Xie Lingjiang was lost in thought. She quickly composed herself, glanced down at her senior brother whom she was holding tightly in her arms, and then at Xue Zhongzhu and the mute girl in the distance... no, it was Zhao Qingxiu.

The expectation in her eyes deepened. If this girl were to plead for her senior sister to save her senior brother, given her noble status in the Queen's Palace, Xue Zhongzhu would find it difficult to refuse.

Although the two women over there seemed to be in an awkward situation right now, Xie Lingjiang, being an outsider, couldn't understand the riddle even after listening for a long time.

"Stop making excuses. You are not allowed to see this person. Come with me! After we finish dealing with the matters in Longcheng and return to Taoyuan, you will never be allowed to leave the mountain again." Xue Zhongzhu's tone left no room for argument.

Zhao Qingxiu shook her head and pointed to Longcheng County at the foot of the mountain.

Xue Zhongzhu's tone suddenly became fierce: "What do you care about him, Seventh Junior Sister? Everyone has their own destiny. Not only you, but your senior sisters and I are all the same. Now that you have joined Yunmeng, you must sever all worldly ties with the outside world. Even if Master were still here and still doted on you, he would not allow you to act so recklessly!"

After she finished speaking decisively, she paused, and then, seemingly for no reason, added another sentence:

"Seventh Junior Sister, Master paid for the business deal with your husband's family, so there's no debt between us." His tone was meaningful.

But the next moment, seeing the despairing look on the mute junior sister in front of him, her head tilted to the side, Xue Zhongzhu frowned slightly.

Suddenly recalling the kind and understanding tone of a certain junior sister in her sect, who was like a caring older sister, when she comforted and coaxed people, this decisive and ruthless Grand Queen of Yunmeng pursed her lips, spoke again, her voice unusually softer, though the words she uttered were still somewhat unfamiliar:

"Seventh Junior Sister, your senior sisters are your true family, and they will truly be good to you. Others are either worldly people caught up in the seven emotions and six desires, or wicked people with ulterior motives who want to harm you. You are pure and innocent, so don't be deceived. Even if it's your childhood sweetheart, after not seeing him for many years, are you sure he is still the same person?"

Zhao Qingxiu stubbornly shook her head, "Ah, ah, um."

"What? You mean he's family too?" Xue Zhongzhu understood, and almost couldn't resist drawing her sword. She took a deep breath and tried to coax him gently:

"Think about it, if your husband's family truly considered you family, why has no one ever come looking for you all these years? Why have they ignored you completely?"

Zhao Qingxiu was speechless, gazing at the blue sky above the lonely eaves of the main hall behind her senior sister.

Seeing this, Xuezhongzhu breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

But just then, Xie Lingjiang, who was sitting disheveled amidst the ruins, suddenly stood up and, unable to hold back any longer, shouted to the two women in the distance:

"Your Majesty, Miss Zhao, could we catch up later? My senior brother is dying. I can provide some clues; could you perhaps save him first...?"

"Shut up first," Xue Zhongzhu said irritably.

Xie Lingjiang looked at Zhao Qingxiu with hopeful eyes.

Upon hearing this, Yue Chuzi turned her head, her small face seemingly stunned for a moment, before slowly moving towards Xie Lingjiang. Halfway there, she seemed to see clearly what was in Hongshang's arms, and in an instant, she flashed over like lightning.

There's hope!

Upon seeing this, Xie Lingjiang's first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief, but the next moment, she suddenly realized that her arms were light and she was holding nothing.

The eldest brother, who was in her arms with his eyes closed and head bowed, was snatched away!

“Uh…” Xie Lingjiang looked up blankly and immediately saw Zhao Qingxiu kneeling on the ground just like him, hugging Ouyang Rong tightly, her tear-streaked face buried in his arms as she cried bitterly, unable to speak, only sobbing.

"Waaaaah—!" The pretty mute girl, who had been wandering aimlessly in Dragon City all day, seemed to have finally found her pillar of support.

Xie Lingjiang's expression gradually stiffened. Zhao Qingxiu reached out and tremblingly stroked Ouyang Rong's face, then, in her concern, she reached out haphazardly to feel his body and check his injuries.

Xie Lingjiang looked at him with disbelief and stammered, "Miss Zhao, why are you hugging my senior brother?"

Zhao Qingxiu held him tightly, not daring to let go.

At this moment, Xue Zhongzhu walked over with a shocked expression, pointing a trembling finger at the heavily injured young man: "This...this is your virgin husband?"

The white-clad fox-fur lady couldn't help but turn her head again to look at Xie Lingjiang, whose almond-shaped eyes were also widening. She glared at her fiercely. This... isn't this your lover who's been crying his eyes out? How come he's having an affair with my seventh junior sister... So you two are putting on a show right in front of me?

"Mmm." Zhao Qingxiu pressed her cheek against his forehead and nodded frantically at the candle in the snow, indicating that this was her beloved. Zhao Qingxiu knelt down and crawled on her knees, carrying Ouyang Rong to the candle in the snow, sobbing and whimpering, but grabbing her senior sister's skirt.

Xue Zhongzhu's face, which had been made even whiter and more delicate by the white fox fur shawl, was now turning bluish-purple.

"No, I will not save him!"

A cold light flashed, like water.

The sword behind Zhao Qingxiu was already drawn. She gripped it tightly with her hand behind her back, pressing it against her slender neck, and bloodstains instantly appeared.

"..." Xue Zhongzhu asked in disbelief, "You actually threatened my senior sister with your life for him?"

Zhao Qingxiu lowered her head, then suddenly flipped her hand, using the tip of her sword as a pen to carve words on the ground.

"You...you're absolutely insane! This is outrageous!"

Xuezhongzhu's nostrils trembled, his white face flushed with anger, and he muttered curses under his breath. Finally, he couldn't help but lower his eyes and stare at the words on the ground.

The Great Queen of Yunmeng would occasionally berate her in anger, but Zhao Qingxiu remained surprisingly calm, bowing her head to carve words, attempting to communicate.

It's unclear what these two female rulers of Yue were talking about, but after a short while, one of the female rulers, with a livid face, turned away and nodded resentfully.

The beautiful mute girl sheathed her sword, breathed a long sigh of relief, and hugged her precious lover tightly, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing.

Realizing what was happening, Zhao Qingxiu grabbed Xie Lingjiang's sleeve with delight and gently shook her hand, indicating that her senior sister had agreed.

"Thank you... thank you for pleading for me, Miss Zhao." Xie Lingjiang's smile was very forced.

Good news, the eldest brother is saved!

Bad news, she's going to be an outsider now.

But she was the one who arrived first!

At this moment, Ouyang Rong was being excitedly embraced by the pure and innocent mute girl. After being pushed aside, Xie Lingjiang looked down and felt that her arms were empty, and her eyes were slightly confused and helpless.

The noble lady from the Xie family moved forward as much as possible and sat down close to Zhao Qingxiu. She reached out from below and silently grasped the hand of the senior brother who had slipped out. Their fingers intertwined, and she tilted her head in a daze.

The eldest brother's childhood sweetheart is actually the world-renowned Yue maiden! But didn't Aunt Zhen say that the childhood sweetheart was an ingrate?

Looking at the infatuated mute girl in front of her, Xie Lingjiang was unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow.

Although I update once a day, I will never take a break or stop updating. Since the book started, I've only taken one day off, so my brothers can rest assured! I'm doing great!

(End of this chapter)