Chapter 34 Shuiyuntai reports to you on the Golden Platform
The next day, before the restaurant even opened, Zhou Ziheng and his group had already packed their luggage and were ready to head to Plum Blossom Manor.
On a deep winter morning, the sky was still dark, with only a sliver of pale light in the eastern sky, barely outlining the desolate silhouette of the eaves, brackets, and bare branches.
A lone lantern hangs on the street corner, swaying in the biting cold wind.
Xi Bingyi pulled her cloak tighter around herself; her mood wasn't exactly pleasant.
Although it was her way home, she couldn't help but sigh whenever she thought of Aunt Yu.
Huo Qin was somewhat expectant. From the information he had received, his father's whereabouts were basically related to Plum Blossom Manor. Now that he finally had some leads, he was naturally overjoyed.
One of them was dejected and timid, while the other was excited and expectant. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Plum Blossom Manor was Huo Qin's home.
Zhou Ziheng sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain, and looked at the gray sky.
Xi Bingyi was still sighing, "I never thought I'd be afraid to go home..."
Huo Qin offered her some perfunctory words of comfort, then turned around and began to inquire about Xi Bingyi's mother.
"Don't be afraid. By the way, has your mother ever told you about someone named Huo Yunfeng?"
Xi Bingyi: "..."
What a stiff consolation, what an abrupt turn of events!
But she still thought about it and found a small thing in her memory.
That was her first year practicing asceticism on the holy mountain.
During the New Year, Mei Zhiying went to the Holy Mountain to pick up Xiao Xibingyi and bring her back to Xibao. Along the way, the two bought many novel toys and snacks.
Before returning to Xibao, Xi Bingyi thought her mother was in a good mood.
But soon she discovered that Mei Zhiying was always clinging to her, while ignoring Xi Ling.
That's so rare!
Xi Bingyi grew up listening to her parents' love stories, so how could they possibly have a fight?
Xiao Xi Bingyi wasn't too worried; instead, she asked curiously, "Mother, did you and Father have a fight?"
Mei Zhiying's expression stiffened, and she tapped Xi Bingyi's head: "You're just a kid, you know so much."
Xi Bingyi stuck out her tongue, gathered all the pastries in front of her, and deliberately said, "These are all mine. If you want to eat them, you'll have to go to Father's and ask him to buy them for you!"
Mei Zhiying knew that her daughter wanted her to reconcile with Xi Ling.
She sighed, her eyes revealing a sorrow that Qi Bingyi couldn't understand.
In the end, Mei Zhiying thought about it and felt that perhaps there was still room for communication between the two.
So she said to Xi Bingyi, "Wait for me here."
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards Xi Ling's study.
Xi Bingyi is fearless and will never obediently wait for Mei Zhiying to return.
Her eyes darted around, and she tiptoed to the window of the study.
He had assumed the two inside would quietly clear up the misunderstanding, and that Xi Ling would gently pull Mei Zhiying into his arms again—
After all, every time they had argued before, it ended with Xi Ling's tolerance and concession.
But this time, all Xi Bingyi could hear was Mei Zhiying's broken sobs:
"You're insane! Xi Ling!"
"You knew perfectly well that he was unconscious and completely unable to control himself at the time!"
"You know perfectly well that he did it for us..."
Xi Ling's cold voice interrupted Mei Zhiying's sobs:
"So what? Wasn't it him who caused you all these years of pain?"
"Were your years of suffering all faked?!"
Mei Zhiying's eyes widened, and she murmured in disbelief, "You're crazy, Xi Ling...you're really crazy..."
"We used to be friends!"
Xi Ling slammed the pages of the ancient book shut and sneered, "You said it yourself, that was in the past."
"Huo Yunfeng is no longer my friend."
...
After Xi Bingyi finished speaking, Huo Qin fell into deep thought.
Xi Bingyi belatedly realized, "Huo Yunfeng, Huo Qin... are those your fathers?"
Huo Qin nodded, making no attempt to hide anything.
Now it was Xi Bingyi's turn to feel awkward, since it wasn't hard to see from the memories that Mei Zhiying, Xi Ling, and Huo Yunfeng were probably once very good friends.
But later, for some reason, they fell out...
Huo Qin was still pondering: "Li Jin, the Valley Master of Liyang, once told me that my father had some entanglements with Plum Blossom Manor. I originally thought it was a feud between the two, but now it seems..."
He smiled wryly, finding humor in the situation: "At least it's not a purely bad relationship."
Zhou Ziheng was also very interested and leaned over to ask, "Why are your mother and father's attitudes towards Huo Yunfeng so different?"
Xi Bingyi shook her head, indicating that she didn't know anything more.
The wind blew the carriage curtains, and through the fluttering curtains, the sky was slowly fading from its inky blackness in the gaps between light and shadow.
The distant outline emerged from the chaos, like light ink spreading on rice paper.
The rosy hue of the morning glow shone through the gap in the curtains into the carriage, landing precisely in Xi Bingyi's pupils.
As the carriage curtain fluttered, her eyes seemed like glass.
Xi Bingyi suddenly spoke up: "I remember now."
"All of Mother's belongings are kept at Shuiyuntai. There must be something we want to know there."
Huo Qin was somewhat surprised: "Why aren't your mother's belongings at Plum Blossom Manor or Xibao?"
Xi Bingyi was speechless.
Yes, why are my mother's belongings not in Plum Blossom Manor or Xibao, but in Shuiyuntai?
She tried to convince herself: "The Suiyuntai was a gift from my grandmother to my mother, so it must have special meaning. That's why my mother left her keepsake there."
Xi Bingyi looked up at Huo Qin and tentatively asked, "How about we go to Shuiyuntai first?"
Huo Qin naturally had no objections, but seeing Xi Bingyi's relieved expression, he couldn't help but ask, "You really don't want to go home?"
Xi Bingyi lowered her eyes again: "The main problem is that I don't know how to face Aunt Yu..."
She gradually stopped talking as the carriage wheels rolled.
Shuiyuntai is also located in Qi'an City, not far from Meihua Villa.
In the heart of the still lake east of Qi'an, there is a mansion that was originally the private residence of the wealthy merchant Ji Ningyuan.
Later, Ji Ningyuan passed away, and his sons, lacking business acumen, squandered the family fortune. They had no choice but to sell the Shuiyuntai to Madam Mei, which was eventually given to Mei Zhiying as a birthday gift for her eighteenth birthday.
Shuiyuntai has been renovated. With its clear blue waters, white clouds, green bricks, black roof, vermilion gates, and embroidered doors, it exudes a misty and ethereal atmosphere when viewed from afar.
After traveling for several days, heading south, Zhou Ziheng and his two companions finally arrived in Qi'an City and sat down by the still lake.
"I visited several times when I was a child and was amazed by Shuiyuntai. Even now, it remains unchanged..." Xi Bingyi murmured.
In the heart of a crystal-clear lake, the island resembles a fairyland. Red plum blossoms reflect each other, casting vibrant images on the lake's surface. Behind the plum grove stands a simple yet grand mansion, which, when viewed from afar, resembles a celestial palace.
"Indeed, Shuiyuntai is most beautiful in winter, whether it's the shimmering water under the bright sunshine, the hazy beauty under the light rain, or the snow-covered branches after a snowfall..."
Xi Bingyi raised an eyebrow, looked at the calm lake and the islands, and laughed wildly:
"A fleeting glimpse of beauty, just the right moment! You'll have to figure out how to get there yourselves!"
After speaking, Xi Bingyi vanished from sight in an instant, like a gentle breeze or a drifting flower.
The naked eye could only catch ripples on the still water of the lake, which strung together Xi Bingyi's traces like pearls. Before long, Xi Bingyi was seen waving to Zhou Ziheng and the other person in the plum grove.
Zhou Ziheng looked at Huo Qin, who was completely at ease and showed no signs of any particular skill or technique.
His gaze swept over Huo Qin several times, but he couldn't figure it out.
"I wonder how Brother Huo plans to cross the lake?"
Huo Qin calmly pointed to a small boat moored on the shore: "Take a boat."
Zhou Ziheng, who thought Huo Qin also had a unique skill: "..."
When the two of them slowly arrived at the island in the middle of the lake in a small boat, Xi Bingyi had already wandered around the plum grove several times.
It was no different from what she remembered, and Xi Bingyi felt a mix of emotions.
There was excitement of returning home, fear of seeing the truth, and unspeakable guilt.
If she had woken up sooner, would Aunt Yu have stayed at Plum Blossom Manor, and would some tragedies have been avoided? She wondered.
Huo Qin also had complicated emotions. He looked at Shuiyuntai, which was hidden in the plum grove, and his heart was pounding.
Seeing Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin arrive, Xi Bingyi snapped out of her thoughts: "Speaking of which, we were talking about giving Huo Qin a gift before."
She stroked her chin: "It just so happens that there are many treasured divine weapons in Shuiyuntai. If you like, why don't you pick one and take it with you?"
As they talked, they kept walking and soon arrived in front of the Water Cloud Terrace.
Xi Bingyi took out a small plum blossom-shaped jade ornament and gently placed it on the lock of the vermilion door.
The latch and the jade fitting together perfectly, and soon the door slowly opened.
After the platform was fully opened, Xi Bingyi retrieved the jade artifact and led the two into the Water Cloud Platform.
Zhou Ziheng admired the ingenious idea, but the next second he was dazzled by the neatly arranged swords and knives, and was speechless for a moment.
Unlike the layout of ordinary residences, upon entering Shuiyuntai, one is greeted by a main hall displaying swords and knives.
The spacious lobby, which had been abandoned for the purpose of receiving guests, was completely transformed by Mei Zhiying into an "armory," displaying swords, some sharp and some exquisite.
Overwhelmed by the magnificent scene, Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin stood frozen in place, while Xi Bingyi fondly stroked each of the swords and blades.
"Unfortunately, my father kept the 'Butterfly Lovers' painting in private, and even I have never seen it."
Xi Bingyi's words were full of longing, as if she couldn't wait to show her friends the best of everything.
Zhou Ziheng knew about Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai; his junior sister had told him the story at least a hundred times.
A sword of love, a sword that Mei Zhiying painstakingly crafted.
She worked tirelessly for a whole week to prepare this sword, and finally managed to send it out before Xi Ling's birthday.
"Some of the swords here were forged by my mother herself, and some were collected by her during her travels."
Xi Bingyi looked at Huo Qin, who was lost in thought, and kicked him in annoyance: "You can even space out in front of a treasure?!"
Huo Qin already had the Moon-Inviting Bow and had no intention of taking another weapon.
But he couldn't resist Xi Bingyi's enthusiasm, so he reluctantly began to examine the gleaming swords and blades.
Mei Zhiying also carefully placed wooden plaques with inscriptions above each weapon to indicate its name.
Ascending to Immortality, Twin Wings, Helan Mountain... Huo Qin looked at them one by one until he saw a simple and unadorned sword that was even more inconspicuous than any of the divine weapons.
That sword looks so familiar...
The dragon head carved on the hilt looks quite exquisite and well-made, but the scabbard is rather perfunctory, as if it was made roughly from scraps, and can only be described as fitting well.
Huo Qin carefully removed the sword and drew it out. He saw a line of blood running through the blade like a dragon's tendon, connecting it to the hilt.
Compared to ordinary swords, the blade is narrower and thinner, yet it is also more chilling.
He looked at the words on the wooden sign: "Reporting to Your Majesty's Will".
At the very bottom, there is a line of smaller text:
—A gift to Huo Yunfeng.
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