Chapter 49 Turmoil: Spring Willows Unseen in Kansai
Xi Bingyi originally intended to pay her respects to Mei Zhiying, but considering that she hadn't prepared any flowers and it was getting late, she thought for a moment and decided to go out and buy some things first.
It was late at night when she returned, and she happened to run into Xi Ling, who had been talking with Zhou Ziheng.
Xi Bingyi stood still, and in the darkness, Xi Ling couldn't decipher her expression.
He put his gentle mask back on. "Bingyi, where have you been so late?"
Xi Bingyi hid in the shadows, watching her crazed father.
Her voice was calm: "I bought some flowers; I'll go pay respects to my mother tomorrow."
Xi Ling nodded, said no more, and turned to leave.
In the courtyard, the plum tree trembled slightly, shedding its last crimson petals.
Xi Bingyi wanted to get straight to the point and ask Xi Ling why she was so obsessed with winning the laurel wreath, but in fact, she already had a vague answer in her heart, so she didn't speak for a long time.
On this cold, late night, she remembered the two swords her mother had forged for Xi Ling.
"Xiang Wang" is a sword of love, and "Liang Zhu" is a broken sword. Even as Mei Zhiying's health deteriorated, she still devoted herself to forging the sword.
Why would such a sword be a broken sword?
Xi Ling hung it in her study, and what was she thinking as she faced it day and night...?
A study...a study?
Xi Bingyi's eyes lit up, and a sudden realization flashed across her face.
Since eradicating the curse on Zhou Ziheng is the best solution, why not stop Xi Ling's insane plan?
Xi Ling is determined to bring Mei Zhiying back to life, and she will spare no expense to achieve this.
Since they cannot immediately lift their senior brother's curse, their top priority is to find out the details of this "method of resurrection"—when exactly should it be carried out? What items need to be gathered? Is there a detailed plan?
Shattering Xi Ling's delusions and destroying everything would also reduce the obstacles to "saving Zhou Ziheng"!
Xi Bingyi thought about it more and more and found it made sense. She nodded repeatedly, marveling at how smart she was.
...
The next morning, before Xi Bingyi could tell Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin about her plans, she saw her senior brother with a sour face. Strangely enough, even Huo Qin looked unhappy.
The two seemed to be competing with each other, neither paying any attention to the other.
She asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"
Zhou Ziheng's eyesight has not recovered yet; everything in front of him is still dark.
The thought of the stubborn Huo Qin insisting that he kill him made him even less inclined to speak.
Huo Qin was heartbroken by the words "we are no longer friends" and hated the other person for being so venomous and hurtful.
Finally, Huo Qin broke the silence with a cold snort.
He gritted his teeth and said, "It's nothing."
Xi Bingyi pouted.
Two childish kids, no matter who you look at them, they look like they've got something going on!
She ignored her two arguing friends and said to herself, "I'm going to pay respects to my mother today, so you two be careful."
After Xi Bingyi finished speaking, she paused, then furtively leaned close to Huo Qin and whispered to him:
"Go visit my father's study when you have time. He wants to take the soul, but he'll have to find a way to do it. It's better for us to stop him and then slowly plot our next move than to be like headless flies."
“My father’s study has always been a forbidden area, and I suspect there is something in there.”
After thinking for a moment, Xi Bingyi added, "But the study is also dangerous. If you can't manage, wait for me to come back."
Huo Qin's forehead throbbed, and he rubbed his temples: "Am I some kind of good-for-nothing?"
Zhou Ziheng pricked up his ears, trying to hear what they were whispering about, but all he heard was Xi Bingyi's incredibly loud shout:
"You two are both useless! Idiots! That's why you're still arguing at a time like this!"
Zhou Ziheng turned his head guiltily, and Huo Qin also pretended to be busy looking at the sky, but no matter how busy he was, he just wouldn't admit to making up.
Xi Bingyi was so angry she turned into a squirrel, and was about to yell at the two of them when she saw Xi Ling appear with bowls and chopsticks, inviting them to have breakfast.
She glared at them fiercely, seething with resentment. Just as she was about to storm off, she remembered that Zhou Ziheng seemed to be blind, so she could only sigh and turn back to support this "sickly senior brother".
When the three arrived at the dining room, Xi Ling had already set out a table full of food. Two sets of bowls and chopsticks were placed at the head of the table, while the three sets of bowls and chopsticks below were for the three younger members of the family.
When Xi Ling saw them arrive, she invited them to sit down: "Make yourselves at home, don't be shy."
Xi Bingyi's attention was entirely focused on the extra set of bowls and chopsticks. She wondered, "Are there still people who haven't arrived?"
Xi Ling calmly replied, "No, everyone's here. That set of chopsticks and bowls is for your mother."
really.
Xi Bingyi scoffed, mercilessly shattering Xi Ling's delusions: "Father, you've forgotten, Mother is already dead."
Xi Ling knew, of course, that Mei Zhiying was dead. He was neither embarrassed nor angry as he had imagined, but calmly filled the empty bowl with tofu and shredded tofu soup.
Xi Bingyi's arrogant words were completely ignored, and her face darkened, her good mood vanished.
Xi Ling noticed that the three juniors sitting opposite her all had increasingly unpleasant expressions, but she didn't want to bother with them.
And so the meal ended up being tasteless and unappetizing.
Mei Zhiying's soup had gone cold, and Xi Ling remained expressionless, making it impossible to read her thoughts.
After the meal, the three left the dining hall. Xi Bingyi, as planned, went to the back mountain to pay respects to her mother.
She urged him worriedly, "Senior brother, you can't see right now, so you should go back to your room and rest as soon as possible."
"I have already sent a message back to the Holy Mountain about Tian Xuelian and Xiangjun. My master said he would help us find a solution."
Immediately afterwards, Xi Bingyi looked at Huo Qin and gave him a look.
"Don't let him know, he's too nosy," Xi Bingyi mouthed.
Huo Qin nodded solemnly, indicating that he deeply agreed.
The two exchanged glances and, taking advantage of Zhou Ziheng's inability to see, openly plotted their scheme.
Zhou Ziheng sneezed and scratched his head in confusion.
...
Mei Zhiying was buried in a plum grove on the back mountain of Xibao.
Originally, there was no plum grove on the back mountain. Later, when Xi Ling and Mei Zhiying got married, every winter, Mei Zhiying's bedroom window would open to reveal this bare back mountain.
She was really unhappy, so she planted a plum grove, which not only decorated the desolation but also expressed her homesickness.
At dawn, the weather wasn't very good. A hazy morning mist shrouded the earth, obscuring the faint sunlight and creating a drowsy atmosphere.
Xi Bingyi held a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. The cold morning dew condensed in her hair and fell onto the chrysanthemums like tears falling from the sky.
With a "crack," Xi Bingyi broke off a dry branch on the ground and stepped into the back mountain.
Meilin was located halfway up the mountain. To pay homage to Mei Zhiying, Xi Ling had cleared a mountain path early on, and Xi Bingyi was climbing along this path.
The fog grew thicker, blurring everything in sight. Only the fiery red plum grove, like a dense block of color, guided Xi Bingyi forward.
Xi Bingyi felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
The closer she got to Merlin, the more vividly she recalled every detail of her mother's passing: her limp hands, her withered face, her dim eyes…
On that rainy night, pain, confusion, helplessness, and loss overwhelmed the young Xi Bingyi for the first time. She was unable to snatch her mother back from the clutches of death and could only watch helplessly as her mother withered away in her arms.
"Bingyi..." The mother's cold hand stroked little Bingyi's cheek, wanting to wipe away her tears, but before she could touch her, it fell limply.
Xi Bingyi froze. Just like in her memory, she wanted to hold her mother's hand and bury her face in her mother's palm, but she only grasped air. Just like now, she could only wipe away her tears herself.
Tears and mist blurred her vision. She closed her eyes, stopped walking, and could barely bear the grief.
Just then, the voices of two people ahead caught Xi Bingyi's attention.
Why didn't you kill him then?
Xi Bingyi suddenly opened her eyes. It was Yu Xijun's voice!
Soon, another person said, "Didn't you also not kill Xiao Zhou?"
Yu Xijun's lazy voice came: "That's different—I'm not as skilled as him, and besides, Uncle's hidden weapons were really crudely made, so it's normal that I'm not comfortable using them. Furthermore, Xiao Zhou shouldn't have died there in the first place, but you..."
"I still don't quite understand. You said Xiaozhou would break down under the influence of joy or sorrow, but he seems perfectly fine to me."
The other person chuckled softly: "It was just a miscalculation. Even so, isn't Xiao Zhou's soul mature enough? Why care about another person's life or death?"
These two people were Yu Xijun and Yao Guang, and the person they were discussing was Huo Qin.
Yu Xijun turned her head and glanced at Yao Guang, muttering, "You'd better not ruin things."
Yao Guang shook his head helplessly, "We are all working for our lord, how could I dare to ruin things?"
What Yao Guang didn't say was that the reason she didn't kill Huo Qin wasn't what she had stated at the time.
Yu Xijun was unaware of Xiangjun's situation, so she wanted Huo Qin dead, and also wanted a more beautiful and radiant soul, one more worthy of Mei Zhiying.
But Yao Guang knew that Xiang Jun was Zhou Ziheng's only hope for survival, so she naturally couldn't let Huo Qin die in the bamboo forest.
Yu Xijun said suspiciously, "You'd better not forget that Zhiying once saved you!"
Yao Guang glanced back and said nonchalantly, "Of course, I never lie."
"Nature... has never forgotten."
"Really? You told me last night about a rampant tomb raider. If you dare to lie to me..." Yu Xijun sneered, "you're dead!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a dark figure darted out from beside them!
"Who!" Yu Xijun reached for her weapon. She hadn't expected such a coincidence. She had just been threatening Yao Guang, and the next second a person who looked like a tomb raider appeared!
"Take him down first!" Yao Guang said gravely. "We absolutely cannot let him alarm us..."
"You don't need to tell me!" Yu Xijun swiftly drew her bow and arrow and immediately leaped to grab the dark figure.
Yao Guang didn't delay any longer, and with a light step, he followed.
The little tomb raider wasn't fast, and was quickly caught up by the furious Yu Xijun.
The sword in Yu Xijun's hand is called "Willow," which means to bid farewell and long for return.
She grew up with Mei Zhiying and they were like sisters. However, no matter how close they were, she was never as valued as the eldest daughter of Plum Blossom Manor. Moreover, she was just an orphan that Mei Zhiying had rescued when she was a child.
Therefore, Mei Zhiying was able to travel, but she was not. To comfort her, Mei Zhiying personally forged the "Willow".
At this moment, the willow branches, like newly sprouted shoots, lashed out fiercely at the tomb raiders.
Yu Xijun underestimated the little thief, after all, she caught up with him too easily. She didn't expect the little thief to dodge the fierce sword strike so nimbly.
The willows only broke through the thick fog and dew.
Yu Xijun was stunned, seemingly somewhat puzzled.
However, Yao Guang caught up at this moment. She reached out her hand into a claw to grab the thief. The thief seemed unable to dodge in time and could only barely raise his arm to defend himself, but he was knocked down and fell straight to the ground.
"Quick, after him! He's heading towards Zhiying's grave!" Yaoguang took the lead and rushed towards the ground.
Yu Xijun dismissed the fleeting doubt in her mind, utterly enraged by the thief. She gritted her teeth: "He dares!!!"
The thief scurried across the ground, and seeing the two people chasing after him, he smiled bitterly to himself.
Yao Guang followed him at an ambiguous distance, but Yu Xijun was getting closer and closer, and he could even see the cold light on the willow sword.
"You dare to make a move on Zhiying? You're dead!!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the willow tree appeared right before him.
Instead of fleeing, the thief pulled out a flute from his sleeve. It was unclear what material the flute was made of, but when it collided with the sword, the flute shaft was completely undamaged.
The thief skillfully twirled the flute, deflecting the force of Yang Liu's attack. He then grabbed Yao Guang, who was attacking from behind, and with a downward thrust of his waist and dantian, lifted Yao Guang up and flung her toward Yu Xijun!
"What—" Yu Xijun didn't have time to sheathe her sword, so she could only slap Yao Guang's back with her palm to cushion the impact. The two of them quickly fell into a heap.
Yu Xijun cursed, "Yaoguang! How could you be so incompetent!"
Yao Guang suppressed a laugh: "It was my carelessness. Let's not talk about that now, that person is about to run away again."
Yu Xijun abandoned Yao Guang and rallied her forces.
They were now very close to Mei Zhiying's resting place. Yu Xijun was extremely anxious, and her hatred for that scoundrel was almost tangible.
The thief had no doubt that if hatred could kill, he would already be being slowly sliced to death.
He tried to deflect the force again, but taking the sword was far from as easy as it looked.
Yu Xijun was truly enraged. His hidden energy was like a spring breeze rustling willow branches, unpredictable and continuous. Even after he dealt with one wave, there were still continuous follow-ups.
The thief silently swallowed the blood, then suddenly changed direction, no longer heading towards Mei Zhiying's grave.
But to everyone's surprise, Yu Xijun's eyes had already turned red with anger: "You want to leave now? It's too late!"
Even though the thief no longer intended to approach Mei Zhiying's grave, the enraged Yu Xijun still had no intention of letting him go.
The two clashed, the willow branches and flute colliding and making a sound like jade striking against a stone. A strong vortex scattered plum blossoms, and amidst the swirling petals, Yao Guang glanced back meaningfully before joining the battle.
Amidst the clash of swords and the exchange of blows, Yu Xijun showed no mercy, each move aimed at taking the thief's life.
That little thief was quite skilled; he played the flute with unparalleled skill, striking, stabbing, breaking, and vibrating with perfect precision. Each move was just right, both dismantling Yu Xijun's offensive and preventing her from being defeated, thus putting on a show of teasing her.
Yu Xijun was blinded by anger and didn't realize this at all. She only felt that she was fighting this petty thief to a standstill.
Yao Guang, who launched a sneak attack from the side, did not gain any advantage. Her hands were sore from the impact of the jade flute, which struck her tiger's mouth with each blow, causing her to grit her teeth in pain.
The three fought and retreated, gradually moving away from Mei Zhiying's grave.
Yao Guang was displeased. She stared intently at the eyes beneath the thief's mask, her hands moving faster and faster, her anger rising ever higher—
The thief knew something was wrong the moment he made eye contact with Yaoguang. Before he could even beg for mercy from this lady, Yaoguang's fair and clear hands slashed at his face.
The beauty palm, each palm takes a life.
The thief gave up on toying with Yu Xijun and had no choice but to use all his strength to take Yao Guang's palm strike.
While trying to stimulate the acupoint with his flute, he slapped Yao Guang's arm with his other hand to try to deflect the force, but Yao Guang was unmoved. One of his hands was as unshakeable as a mountain, and he quickly sent the thief flying.
The thief was indeed quite skilled. Although he appeared to be sent flying backwards and unable to fight back, he was able to quickly adjust his body in mid-air to minimize the damage.
But Yao Guang knew him well enough that before he could adjust, she leaned forward again, this time making a fist and smashing it hard into his stomach from below!
The thief, drenched in sweat, stared at Yao Guang's fiercely fighting eyes and stammered, "You..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was sent flying again by the hammer.
"Wow..." Yu Xijun stared in disbelief at the scene before her. The two were wrestling, and she, holding up the willow branch, couldn't find a suitable opportunity to intervene.
As the fight moved further and further away, Yu Xijun gradually forgot her original intention and thought inappropriately: Maybe we should separate these two first, it seems like someone is going to die.
After venting his anger with that palm strike and punch, Yao Guang didn't actually use any more force.
After she retaliated for the "grudge" of being hit on the tiger's mouth by the other party, the thief tacitly let her finish hitting him.
The two stopped fighting and pretended to be fighting fiercely, but in reality, they were luring Yu Xijun away from Mei Zhiying's grave.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Yao Guang exchanged a glance with the "little thief," and pretended to be outmatched and defeated by the little thief.
Yu Xijun rushed over to help Yaoguang up, muttering, "I was wondering why you suddenly became so powerful, but it turns out I still had to help you."
Yao Guang suppressed a laugh and coughed twice to cover it up: "Don't worry about me, go after them."
Yu Xijun snorted: "I still have to take action."
Yu Xijun helped the seemingly badly injured Yao Guang sit down, then picked up the willow branch and continued chasing the thief. Fortunately, the thief was skilled with his hands, but his footwork was lacking, and he wasn't very fast, so Yu Xijun quickly caught up with him.
Doesn't this little thief practice light footwork? Yu Xijun managed to squeeze out a few thoughts during the chase.
Yao Guang watched the two figures disappear into the distance, slowly exhaled, rotated her wrist, and changed her "seriously injured" appearance before turning back to look.
"Stop hiding, you've had enough of the show, it's time to come out, Xiao Bingyi."
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