Chapter 50 Clouds and Rainbows Cut Through Sorrow and Anger
Xi Bingyi had actually been following Yu Xijun and Yaoguang for a long time. Thanks to the thick fog and Yu Xijun's excessive focus on the "tomb raiders", she did not notice Xi Bingyi following them all the way.
Yao Guang, however, had discovered Xi Bingyi long ago. She conspired with the thief to lure Yu Xijun, precisely so that she could meet and speak with Xi Bingyi alone.
A cold wind dispersed the fog, and under the cover of red plum blossoms, Xi Bingyi saw Yao Guang for the first time.
She had a pair of seemingly aloof eyes, which, when looked at through the momentarily dispersed mist, resembled icy, clear springs.
Xi Bingyi quickly forgot about Yao Guang's appearance, because a pair of hands attracted her attention even more—
Yao Guang's hands looked exceptionally strong, with thick calluses covering his thumb, index finger, and the area between his thumb and index finger, clearly indicating that they belonged to someone skilled in archery.
However, it would be a big mistake to think that Yao Guang is only suitable for long-range archery. She had already demonstrated her extraordinary close-combat abilities to Xi Bingyi.
The wind stopped, and the thick fog crept back in like winding vines. Under the hazy red plum blossoms, Xi Bingyi couldn't see Yao Guang's movements at all, and she couldn't help but tense up, becoming wary.
"Who exactly are you?" Xi Bingyi slowly drew her sword and asked.
“My name is Yaoguang. About a month before your mother died, she rescued me from being kidnapped by bandits. After that, I followed your mother to work and search for the whereabouts of the Heavenly Snow Lotus. It’s understandable that you don’t know me.”
Xi Bingyi still didn't dare to relax after hearing this. She instinctively distrusted him: "Searching for the Heavenly Snow Lotus? My mother clearly knows that it has been missing for a very long time. Why did she suddenly want you to go find it?"
Yao Guang smiled and said, "A sudden idea? Don't you know perfectly well that Zhiying has never given up on saving her friend?"
Xi Bingyi frowned: "So you're working for my father now?"
Yao Guang did not answer the question, but only said, "I sent Yu Xijun away not so that you could ask me questions. We don't have much time, let's go."
As she spoke, Yao Guang appeared behind Xi Bingyi without her noticing and grabbed her arm!
So fast, so sudden!
Xi Bingyi was completely caught off guard, and when she came to her senses, she found herself already under someone else's control.
She switched the ghost to her left hand and slashed at Yaoguang.
However, she was not good at using her left hand to exert force, and now that half of her body was firmly controlled and she could not move, she was like a soft little snake, which was easily caught by Yao Guang.
Yao Guang shook his head, pulled Jian Gui over, rolled it up and tucked it behind his back, and said helplessly, "If you behave yourself, you'll suffer less."
She dragged Xi Bingyi away quickly, and no matter how much Xi Bingyi struggled to delay, she didn't slow down at all, as if she were carrying a bag of sugar cakes with ease.
Xi Bingyi was heartbroken and, having exhausted all her means and strength, could only scream loudly: "You kidnapped your benefactor's daughter! You are ungrateful!"
Yao Guang replied calmly, "Mm."
Xi Bingyi: "You took advantage of my vulnerability to launch a sneak attack! Despicable!! Put me down and let's settle this fairly and square!!"
Xi Bingyi: "Where are you taking me! I'm warning you, my senior brother, master, mistress, and that Huo Qin, they are not to be trifled with. If you mess with me, you're messing with the entire Holy Mountain!!"
Yao Guang found Xi Bingyi too noisy, so she picked up a piece of candy from somewhere and stuffed it into her mouth.
Xi Bingyi: "Ahhh—"
Xi Bingyi's mouth was stuffed full of cloyingly sweet candy cakes. She frowned, feeling like vomiting, but the sweetness soothed her empty stomach, so she secretly licked one.
Yao Guang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Xi Bingyi had finally calmed down.
She was afraid that Yu Xijun would hear Xi Bingyi's voice and turn around to attack, which would mean all her efforts would be in vain.
As the speed of the light gradually slowed down, Xi Bingyi looked at the red plum blossoms around her, which resembled a sea of fire, and belatedly realized that this seemed to be the way to pay respects to Mei Zhiying!
Finally, Yao Guang stopped without blushing or panting, and put Xi Bingyi down.
This was the first time Xi Bingyi had seen this person, her mother's "retainer," so closely.
On Yao Guang's resolute and sharp face, there was a mole at the corner of her mouth, which, like the finishing touch, added a touch of gentleness to her features.
Xi Bingyi was right; right in front of them was Mei Zhiying's grave.
The inscription reads: "May my wife Zhiying rest in peace and happiness."
Xi Bingyi remained silent. She put down the white chrysanthemum in her arms and kowtowed three times earnestly.
Yao Guang waited silently until Xi Bingyi finished kowtowing before laughing sarcastically, "Stop kowtowing, your mother's body isn't here."
Xi Bingyi turned around abruptly, her eyes bloodshot: "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Yao Guang, however, was quite cruel: "Otherwise, why do you think I went to all this trouble to meet you alone? What do you think I brought you here for?"
"Want to know if Zhiying's body is here? Why not just dig it up and take a look?"
"Don't you know? Don't you know that Xi Ling wants to bring Zhiying back to life?"
"Don't you have any doubts? Zhiying's body has already decomposed, so how can she be brought back to life?"
Before she could finish speaking, Xi Bingyi could no longer contain her anger. She punched Yao Guang, her eyes red with rage as she stared at her: "Get out of my way!!"
Yao Guang lightly reached out and caught the punch. The hand that Xi Bingyi had praised was now tightly wrapped around her fist, rendering her unable to move.
Yao Guang looked at her coldly and with pity: "Xi Bingyi, you are too weak."
Humiliation, resentment, and injustice... all sorts of emotions swirled in Xi Bingyi's heart. She held back her tears and gritted her teeth as she retorted: "Betrayal, fickleness—I am not the truly weak one!"
Yao Guang raised an eyebrow: "Zhiying wants to save her friend, but what about you? Don't you want to save your friend?"
Xi Bingyi frowned, not keeping up with Yao Guang's speed in changing the subject.
"What nonsense! Of course I have to save my friend. What are you talking about?"
Yao Guang released his hand: "Then dig it up."
Xi Bingyi was so angry that she could hardly catch her breath. She was trembling with rage and could barely speak: "You, you!"
Yao Guang glanced at Xi Bingyi, knowing that she probably wouldn't want to do that anytime soon. But then again, digging up graves did sound quite rebellious.
Moreover, Xi Bingyi has always respected and loved her mother, so how could she gamble on even a one in ten thousand chance that she would not be able to rest in peace after her death?
Yao Guang calculated the time and then gave the next instruction: "Be careful when you go to your father's study, don't touch anything you shouldn't..."
She wanted to continue speaking, but the sound of a flute could be heard from not far away. Yao Guang knew that Yu Xijun was on her way back. This was the agreed-upon signal, and her time was running out.
So Yao Guang quickly threw Xi Bingyi to a hidden place and whispered to comfort her, "Hide well, don't let your Aunt Yu find out."
When Yao Guang returned to the tomb, Yu Xijun also returned.
Yu Xijun's hair wasn't messed up at all, but she was a little exasperated.
Yao Guang and the "little thief" didn't want to hurt her, but seeing Yu Xijun cursing, they figured the "little thief" wasn't hurt either, so Yao Guang finally felt relieved.
When Yu Xijun saw the inscription and then the white chrysanthemums in front of it, she sighed and her mood immediately dropped: "You're so thoughtful, you even brought a bouquet of white chrysanthemums."
Yao Guang admitted without changing his expression: "Yes, I picked it on purpose."
“I miss Zhiying so much…” A thin layer of tears welled up in Yu Xijun’s eyes. “When she gave me the willow branches back then, was it to ask me to stay and say goodbye?”
Parting with regret, longing for return... these are indeed proverbs written for Yu Xijun.
Yao Guang sighed inwardly, wondering if Mei Zhiying had ever imagined this day would come.
Yu Xijun gently wiped away her tears: "Thankfully, it's all about to end."
Yao Guang: "...Hmm."
After thinking for a moment, Yao Guang decided to throw out a bait: "Actually, there's no need to come here to worship every year, after all..."
Yu Xijun shouted, "So what! Even if it's empty, I should still be allowed to pay my respects! Even if this place is fake, the words on Xi Ling's tombstone are real, and our longing for Zhiying is real!"
They've taken the bait.
Yao Guang smiled faintly, but sighed inwardly.
Hidden away, Xi Bingyi wasn't feeling so good—
She refused to believe Yao Guang, but Aunt Yu personally confirmed the truth.
In that instant, Xi Bingyi's mind went blank. A huge roar rang in her ears, her body swayed, her breath became unsteady, and she almost gave away her location.
Fortunately, Yao Guang spoke up in time, covering up the momentary abnormality: "You're right, even if this place is fake, our feelings are real."
Perhaps to comfort Xi Bingyi, Yao Guang also became somewhat reluctant as she spoke.
When she was rescued by Mei Zhiying, Xi Bingyi was already cultivating on the Holy Mountain.
After some time, he was asked by Mei Zhiying to search for Tianxuelian. Naturally, he had never met this precious girl whom Mei Zhiying cherished, and they didn't have any close relationship. That's why he had the courage to tear everything apart and show it to her.
But she also understood that all of this was too cruel for Xi Bingyi.
After Yao Guang and Yu Xijun finished their prayers, they turned to leave. Before leaving, she glanced at the place where Xi Bingyi was hiding, took the Ghostly Sword from her waist and placed it on the ground, then left without looking back.
Little Bingyi, grow up quickly. Yaoguang thought silently in her heart, an even crueler truth awaits you, and now there is no one who can let you bask in love forever.
Xi Bingyi squatted for a long time.
Her mind was completely blank. Even though Yao Guangyu Xijun had left long ago, she still squatted in the same spot, staring blankly at the inscription.
In her field of vision, a branch of red plum blossoms drooped low, perfectly obscuring the words "Joy, Happiness, Peace, and Health."
The grave is empty? Why? Didn't she witness her mother's burial?
If not here, then where would she be? How could Xi Ling have gone so mad as to not even allow her mother to enjoy a proper burial?
From dawn till dusk, the winter sun sets too early, making the already gloomy sky even darker.
Xi Bingyi slowly stood up, but her legs had gone numb from squatting for so long that she staggered and fell straight down in front of the inscription.
Xi Bingyi looked down at her scraped palm, her eyes vacant.
After a long while, she finally raised her head, clenched her fists, ignored the slight pain, and slowly got up.
It's hard to describe what it feels like to dig up your mother's grave with your own hands. Xi Bingyi kept a straight face, like a machine that never stops, mechanically and numbly dissecting her own heart little by little.
She was in so much pain that she couldn't even shed a single tear, and her whole body was numb.
She hated herself for being weak, and even hated Yao Guang for not revealing the truth completely, instead for making her tear it open herself.
Xi Bingyi's fingers were filled with dirt and blood, and she was breathing heavily as if she were suffocating.
At this moment, the cold pain in my body was far less than the heaviness in my heart.
The moon hung high in the sky, and in its light, amidst the fiery plum grove, Xi Bingyi finally saw the whole picture—
In the empty tomb, only a pair of scissors with gold and colorful threads shone with a dazzling light.
How could it be...?
The sacred mountain's most precious treasure, the Cloud and Rainbow Scissors!
...
At the same time that Xi Bingyi went to the back mountain early in the morning, Huo Qin also escorted Zhou Ziheng back to his room.
Even though they spent a short time together, he was still so angry that he didn't want to say a word.
He left the person behind and turned to leave.
"etc."
In the end, Zhou Ziheng couldn't persuade him otherwise and spoke first, stopping Huo Qin.
Huo Qin let out a cold laugh.
Zhou Ziheng: "..."
He suppressed the urge to argue with Huo Qin and quickly got down to business: "What did Xi Bingyi say to you?"
Huo Qin gave a forced smile: "She told me to hurry home, go back to see my mother, and help with my father's burial."
Zhou Ziheng didn't believe it, but he still replied perfunctorily, "Oh, really? That's good."
Huo Qin's anger surged, and he unconsciously took a step forward, seemingly wanting to grab Zhou Ziheng by the collar.
He spoke with bitterness, his voice choked with emotion: "Zhou Ziheng, do you really have a heart?"
Even though he couldn't see it, Zhou Ziheng could still feel Huo Qinna's gaze, which seemed to have a physical presence.
He turned his head away, avoiding that heavy gaze.
Huo Qin took a deep breath, his voice sounding somewhat tired: "...I'm going to be away for a while. You're blind, so don't leave the room."
"...Be careful in everything you do. Don't wait for me to come back, or you'll have already been killed by Xi Ling."
Zhou Ziheng gave a short "hmm," pondered for a moment, and then called out to Huo Qin before he left.
"You don't need to worry about me. I have my reasons for coming to Shiburg."
"So don't die for me... Huo Qin."
Huo Qin, with his back to him, merely sneered upon hearing this: "Who's doing this for you? Who's looking for death?"
"narcissism."
Zhou Ziheng: "..."
Before he could even offer an explanation, he heard the door close; Huo Qin had already left.
Remembering Xi Bingyi's instructions, Huo Qin was determined to go to the study as soon as possible to find out what was going on.
But before that, he needs to see the layout of Schieburg.
The layout of Xibao is conventional and follows a very traditional and upright format. At the same time, it takes feng shui factors into account, and while being old-fashioned, it still retains a sense of dynamism with the connection of mountains, water and plank roads.
On the surface, the layout of the castle is perfect and the feng shui is auspicious. There is neither extravagance nor shabby dwellings. The only unusual thing is that it is empty.
However, the spaciousness was hardly a drawback; what truly concerned Hochin was something else entirely.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the vast Shiburg had no servants, and not even a single animal that could breathe.
Huo Qin didn't know if Xi Bao had a habit of keeping cats or dogs, and since Xi Bingyi wasn't there, there was no opportunity to verify it.
But this is just too strange.
Once no one speaks, the entire Shiburg is like a dead beast, filled with an unsettling silence, where even the slightest breath sounds like muffled thunder.
This doesn't feel like a home; it feels more like a giant tomb.
Suppressing his unease, Huo Qin wandered around, his first priority being to determine the location of the study.
The front hall serves as both a reception room and a dining room, separated by artificial hills, pavilions, and waterside terraces. The back hall contains the bedrooms, kitchen, and study.
The study is located at the deepest part of the room, and one needs to walk through a long corridor to get there from the bedroom.
It is worth mentioning that Hochin also noticed a small garden hidden in a bamboo grove to the east of Shibburg.
Looking eastward from the very center of the fort, one's gaze first passes through an octagonal gate, then through a dense, lush bamboo forest, and only then can one vaguely glimpse the eaves of the East Garden.
The East Garden is situated alone, completely disconnected from any other room, making it appear as an easily overlooked and neglected "island." However, in terms of feng shui layout, it resembles a "dragon's eye."
Huo Qin was curious and had a gut feeling that there was something special about this East Garden. He was about to go closer to take a look when Xi Ling appeared behind him like a ghost just as he reached the octagonal gate.
"Huo Qin, where are you going?" Xi Ling's chilling voice came, and Huo Qin couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. At the same time, he was almost 100% certain that there was something in the East Garden!
He turned around, his face still showing a calm, slightly smiling expression.
"Just taking a stroll. What, is there some unspeakable secret in the East Garden?"
Xi Ling smiled gently and said in the gentlest tone the most chilling words: "It's nothing, I just killed someone a while ago and haven't had time to clean up yet."
Huo Qin's heart skipped a beat; he wasn't sure if the other person was joking or if it was true.
It sounds too understated to be true, but given Xi Ling's level of madness, it seems to be true...
After speaking calmly, Xi Ling turned and asked about Zhou Ziheng's recent situation: "Did you come out of Zhou Ziheng's room? How has he been lately?"
Huo Qin couldn't figure out what he was up to, but it couldn't be anything good, so he casually replied, "The same as always."
Xi Ling wasn't surprised by his perfunctory attitude. She smiled, not feeling disappointed at all, and continued, "Really? Didn't he say that the curse of 'winning the laurel' would fully take effect on the fifteenth of this month?"
Huo Qin turned his head sharply, his eyes filled with shock and doubt that seemed to freeze over, almost engulfing him.
"What's the meaning?"
Xi Ling still smiled: "The literal meaning. He's going to die."
After saying that, he pretended to be surprised and provoked, "Aren't you friends? Why didn't he tell you?"
"Yes, he won't even tell you his real name."
The sky was dark and oppressive, as if it were about to sink.
Huo Qin's eyes burned with rage.
He laughed angrily: "You've reminded me, Zhou Ziheng is my friend. Why should I believe your words and question him instead?"
Xi Ling revealed a confident smile: "So what if you believe me, or you don't?"
“I have a way to make him die conscious, as a human being.”
"Burning out your life and living another week while fully conscious; or living another month while oblivious and barely surviving... It's your turn to make a choice."
Huo Qin was so angry he almost laughed hysterically!
He took a sudden step forward and roared:
"You're asking me?!"
"Hahaha, you actually asked me?!"
"What do you take Zhou Ziheng for? A toy? Or a dead man?"
Huo Qin gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury, burning like the rising sun.
"I'm telling you! I won't make the decision for him, because I respect his choice. I'm not you!!"
"I will not decide the life or death of my friends because of my own selfish desires!!"
The strong wind blew his hair across his forehead, making his dark hair dance wildly, and also ruffled the pity in Xi Ling's eyes.
"Incompetent passion..."
"A fool's courage!"
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