Chapter 105
With a "crack!", the teacup fell from the side of the table without warning and shattered into pieces.
Broken porcelain splashed everywhere, and scalding tea was spilled all over the floor, stirring up a light mist. Man Jiangxue's outstretched hand missed its target, as the tiny porcelain shards swiftly grazed her, leaving a faint red mark.
The doors and windows of Chenxing Palace were wide open, and a strong draft rushed through the room, howling and rampant, instantly wiping away all the steam from the tea.
Hearing the commotion outside, several secret guards quickly and swiftly descended from the rooftop, rushing into the palace.
"Uncle-Master?"
"Oh dear, how did this teacup break?"
A sudden downpour outside blurred the maple trees in the courtyard into a patchwork of faded red. Man Jiangxue glanced at the mess on the ground, then at the scratch on the back of her hand, and frowned slightly.
The disciples immediately grabbed brooms and began cleaning. They noticed that Man Jiangxue's hand was injured and rushed over to check on her. Man Jiangxue seemed inexplicably uneasy. She said "It's nothing," wiped the blood off her hand with a handkerchief, and walked out of Chenxing Palace with her umbrella.
"With such a sudden downpour, are you still going to pay respects to our ancestors, Uncle-Master?" A disciple followed, carrying a small bamboo basket filled with joss paper and incense prepared beforehand.
Man Jiangxue stood under the eaves for a moment, observing the rain, and after a short silence, said, "Go."
The disciple brought an umbrella but didn't use it. He put on a raincoat and a bamboo hat, and covered the bamboo basket with a layer of waterproof oiled paper. The two left Jingyue Peak one after the other, and in the pouring rain, they passed through many buildings to the Star Gazing Platform on the back mountain.
The observatory is located on the summit of the back mountain, which is the highest point in the entire Yunhua Mountain. Standing here, one can overlook the entire mountain range, take in the Yunhua Palace, and even see the outline of Shangyuan City in the distance.
The mausoleums of the Yunhua Palace's various patriarchs are all located at Tianchi, but that place is too far away. Every year, going there to pay respects inevitably involves a large-scale event, which is extremely inconvenient. Fortunately, the Star Gazing Platform is spacious and empty, and apart from sightseeing and the occasional lectures by the elders of various peaks, it has no other use. Therefore, Xie Yijun specially renovated this place many years ago and erected many cenotaphs for the patriarchs so that the disciples could conveniently come here to pay their respects.
The rain was heavy, and the umbrella swayed slightly in the wind. Man Jiangxue walked ahead and soon stopped in front of a tomb. The guards behind her immediately held out their umbrellas to shield her from the rain. Man Jiangxue then bent down, blew on a tinderbox to burn some paper money, and lit two white candles.
The wind was too strong; the burned paper money turned to ash and, before it could fly away, drooped down in the rain. The white candle also only burned for a short while before going out.
"The sentiment is enough, Master won't blame me." The disciple burned as much paper money as possible, and then cleaned the ground up neatly.
The abrasion on the back of her hand was almost negligible, but the pain was unusually pronounced, lingering persistently and causing considerable discomfort. Man Jiangxue looked down at her hand and suddenly asked, "Has Xiao Qiu sent any news?"
"No in the last two days, but there was a letter a few days ago. Didn't you read it, Uncle?" After finishing his work, the guard disciple took the initiative to hold the umbrella for Man Jiangxue and replied, "She said she chose a prefecture city that is relatively close to Wei City to go and help. Judging from the days, she should be here soon."
Man Jiangxue's tightly furrowed brows never relaxed. She softly hummed in agreement, her gaze falling on her master's tombstone, where she became unusually lost in thought.
A cold wind swept across the land, bringing boundless chill. The observatory was surrounded by evergreen spruce trees. The vast expanse of green, which should have been covered with a thick layer of snow, was now washed clean and bright by the rain, which also weighed down the slender branches and leaves.
There are no flowers in this place. The greener the spruce trees are, the more desolate and cold it seems. The cenotaphs are surrounded by lush greenery. The thick snow has been broken up, and the soil on the grave mounds has been washed away by the rain, revealing some damp, withered yellow grass.
Man Jiangxue's slightly distorted gaze fell on the yellow mud, but in an instant, it regained its brilliance.
"Have these graves been disturbed?"
Upon hearing this, the guard looked up and glanced around, then replied after a moment's thought, "The snow was too heavy a while ago, which caused a lot of the soil to collapse. We haven't had time to clean it up until yesterday when the sect leader had people come and renovate it. Who knew that it would rain so heavily today? We'll have to do some more repairs after the rain stops."
Man Jiangxue nodded slightly, indicating that she understood. The two stood there for a while before heading back the way they had come.
Perhaps noticing that Man Jiangxue's expression was somewhat solemn today, the guard disciple carefully asked, "Uncle-Master doesn't seem very happy. Are you worried about Junior Sister?"
He should have kept quiet, but the mention of Man Jiangxue made him stop in his tracks. After a moment's thought, he said, "Go to Mingguang Hall later and say goodbye to the sect leader for me."
The disciple looked at the increasingly heavy rain and asked in surprise, "Master Uncle, are you leaving already?"
“Okay,” Man Jiangxue took the umbrella from his hand, “Let’s go now.”
Just as the guard was about to say a few words of advice, Man Jiangxue suddenly leaped off the observatory.
The white figure plunged into the vast, rainy landscape, like a nimble white goose, and quickly disappeared from sight.
Although the guard was surprised, he was used to Man Jiangxue's sudden departure. He watched Man Jiangxue's figure leave, then turned and headed towards the Mingguang Hall.
·
The night wind made the half-closed window sway and creak. When Yin Qiu woke up, it was still raining outside.
A charcoal brazier burned in the room, and bright candles were lit. Yin Qiu looked around blankly, but did not see Meng Jing or Bai Ling.
Her head was throbbing and her mouth was parched. Just as she was about to get up to find a cup of tea to quench her thirst, the door was suddenly pushed open gently. Yin Qiu pinched her brow and looked up to see Meng Jing step in, carrying a bowl of medicinal soup. A bitter medicinal aroma immediately filled the room.
"Awake?" Seeing Yin Qiu sitting on the couch, Meng Jing's eyes brightened slightly. He quickly went to sit down by the couch and immediately took Yin Qiu's pulse.
"Where is this?" Yin Qiu switched hands and rubbed her swollen temples again.
Meng Jing lowered his head, focusing intently on taking the pulse, and finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief before replying, "We have arrived at Cloud City."
Yin Qiu paused, a look of bewilderment still lingering on her face: "We're here already? Isn't it supposed to take three or four days to get here?"
Meng Jing glanced at her, handed the medicine that was set aside to Yin Qiu, and said, "To be precise, it took us seven whole days to get here."
Seven days? Yin Qiu was taken aback at first, then looked bewildered and said, "...I don't remember anything."
“That day on the mountain road, you suddenly vomited blood, saying you heard some kind of flute music,” Meng Jing said. “Then you fainted and only woke up now.”
Yin Qiu was stunned for a long time: "What disease do I have?"
Meng Jing sighed, “You’re not sick at all.” He gestured for Yin Qiu to drink the medicine and then said, “I’ve been taking your pulse frequently these past few days. I’ve noticed that your pulse is irregular, but I can’t see anything wrong with you. I also don’t know why you’re vomiting blood. When I came to see you earlier, your pulse was still irregular, but just now it was unusually stable. It’s very strange.”
Recalling what happened that day, Yin Qiu asked, "You and Bai Ling really didn't hear the flute?"
“No,” Meng Jing looked at her, his expression showing obvious concern. “Have you been working too hard lately and are you hallucinating?”
Yin Qiu frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "If the flute music was an illusion, then my spitting blood was real. And when I listened to that flute music, I felt restless and uneasy, my blood was surging, and I couldn't even control my internal energy. It was as if the more turbulent my emotions were, the more I would be affected by the flute music." As she said this, she raised her hand to her chest, "It felt like someone was squeezing this place tightly, and the pain made it hard for me to breathe."
Meng Jing listened to her account and said with a heavy expression, "Although I am not a miracle doctor, I have studied under my master for many years. I can tell whether you are sick or not just by examining you. Apart from your disordered pulse, I cannot find any problems with you."
That's really strange.
Yin Qiu remained silent for a while, then tilted her head back and drank the medicine. After a long while, she teased again, "It can't be that you passed on your heart disease to me."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jing showed a rare moment of silence, feeling somewhat uncomfortable: "What time is it, and you still have the mind to joke around?" She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small oil paper packet, handing it to Yin Qiu. "You vomited blood for no reason, and I'm the one who's going to be scared so badly that my heart condition will relapse."
"No way, I can't take that responsibility," Yin Qiu said, opening the oil paper package and letting the sweet aroma fill her face. "You even bought me candy? That's so kind of you."
Meng Jing looked at her slightly thin profile, paused for a moment, and then said, "This medicine is bitter, I'm afraid you won't be used to drinking it."
“Good medicine tastes bitter but is good for the disease. I’m not a delicate person,” Yin Qiu popped a candied fruit into her mouth. Her eyes darted around and she noticed a peach-colored piece hidden in Meng Jing’s sleeve. She turned her head and said, “What’s that? It looks familiar.”
Meng Jing paused slightly, then awkwardly rolled up his sleeves: "It's nothing, just a handkerchief."
Yin Qiu glanced at her, as if she had made a connection to something from Meng Jing's concealing actions, and laughed, "When did you ever use a handkerchief of this color?" As she spoke, there was an indescribable meaning in her eyes, "Could it be a gift from some skillful junior sister?"
Meeting Yin Qiu's teasing gaze, Meng Jing choked for a moment, then suddenly laughed along with her for the first time: "You are skillful, that's true, but you're not my junior sister."
Seeing the rare smile on her face, Yin Qiu immediately became interested: "Is that you, Senior Sister?"
“Yes,” Meng Jing stood up, holding the medicine bowl. “It’s Senior Sister.”
Seeing that she was about to leave after saying only a few words, Yin Qiu quickly grabbed Meng Jing and said, "Why are you running away? You're quite capable, even getting involved with Senior Sister and accepting her handkerchief. Senior Brother Meng, have you forgotten that you're also a woman?"
Meng Jing was pulled so hard she stumbled, barely managing to regain her balance. She glanced back at Yin Qiu and asked, "Can't we take it?"
“I can accept it,” Yin Qiu said, “but you have to like the person before you can accept it. If you don’t like them, it would be unfair to accept it.”
“How is that unfair?” Meng Jing stood tall and straight, her light blue robe covering Yin Qiu’s wrist. She reached out and took Yin Qiu’s hand, saying in a calm tone, “After all, she knows that I am also a woman.”
Yin Qiu was naturally somewhat surprised: "Besides me, who else knows you're a girl? Why didn't you mention it before?"
The oil lamp flickered, and the projection in the room rippled like water. Yin Qiu sat on the couch with her head tilted back, her eyes still slightly red from a long sleep. She looked incredibly beautiful, as if she were still slightly tipsy.
It has a unique charm.
Meng Jing looked down at her, his fingertips resting on Yin Qiu's wrist twitching slightly. Meng Jing said, "Are you really stupid or just pretending?"
Yin Qiu was a little taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Meng Jing paused for a moment, then released Yin Qiu, took out the peach-colored piece from his sleeve pocket, and held it up to Yin Qiu's eyes.
It was a small and delicate purse.
It has a peach-blossom color and is very clean, but the texture is a bit rough and looks old, indicating that it has been used for a long time.
Yin Qiu glanced at the purse a few times, and then it dawned on her.
This was something she had given to Meng Jing before.
After the annual new disciple assembly ended, Fu Xiang left Yunhua Palace and returned to Mingyue Tower. Yin Qiu made many sachets to give away, even to Ji Wanshu who was in seclusion.
Unexpectedly, Meng Jing still had it and was even carrying it with him.
It turns out she's both skillful and talented, and also her senior.
·
A gentle night breeze stirred, swaying the tassels on the purse and carrying a faint medicinal fragrance—Meng Jing's unique scent.
Yin Qiu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then why did you say it was a handkerchief? Why did you lie to me?"
Meng Jing answered frankly: "It was just a spur-of-the-moment joke."
"Let me see," Yin Qiu said, taking the purse in her hand and examining it closely. "It's worn in quite a few places. I'll make you a new one when I have some free time."
Meng Jing said, "No need," and then took the purse back. "I'm using it as a sachet to put some refreshing herbs in it, so that I can calm my mind and it will also be good for my heart condition."
Yin Qiu smiled brightly: "I didn't realize you were such a sentimental person. If you ever want to get something new, just let me know. Don't be shy."
Meng Jing lowered his head, stuffed the purse back into his sleeve pocket, and said, "Okay."
“Then do me a favor,” Yin Qiu said, putting on her shoes and getting off the bed. She walked to the table and poured herself two cups of hot tea. “It’s the kind of favor I absolutely have to do.”
Meng Jing asked, "What kind of help?"
"Don't tell anyone that I'm vomiting blood," Yin Qiu said, "especially my uncle, you and Bai Ling have to keep it a secret for me."
Even though she didn't explain the reason, Meng Jing could easily guess her intention. Meng Jing said, "We still haven't figured out why you vomited blood. If you tell your martial aunt, perhaps she will have a good solution. Who knows if you will do it again?"
"We'll talk about it when the time comes," Yin Qiu said with a smile, stretching her limbs. "I'm perfectly fine, nothing's wrong. My martial aunt has a lot to do, she already has enough on her plate, I don't want her to be distracted by me. Promise me you won't tell my martial aunt."
Meng Jing hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Then I'll do as you say."
Yunjian City is very close to Wei City; it only takes two days to reach it by horse. This place is also considered to be on the border of Yunhua Palace's jurisdiction. Since Yin Qiu was going to Wei City next month anyway, he suggested coming here to help out. Being close by would also make it easier to participate in the Mozi Platform in a timely manner.
Nangong Min was indeed ruthless. In addition to Jincheng, he did not even spare the relatively remote Yunjian City. The next day, Yin Qiu, Meng Jing and Bai Ling checked into Yunhua Post Station and found that the place was in complete chaos. Because of the refugee issue, the disciples had been harassed by the people and government officials and suffered a lot of scorn and contempt.
But the person was already dead, and the real culprit could not be found. Yunhua Palace had no choice but to accept the blame reluctantly. Fortunately, the local prefect was responsible and took in the remaining refugees who were lucky enough to survive and forbade Yunhua Palace to take care of them. Although the disciples had nowhere to complain, they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the refugees being taken away.
If anything happens to these remaining refugees, Yunhua Palace will truly be in a situation where it can't clear its name no matter what.
After two days of rain, a sunny day finally arrived. The disciples at the post station had rarely gone out lately, fearing being criticized behind their backs. But seeing that the weather was nice today, they all went together to a pasture outside the city to ride horses.
There weren't many disciples stationed in Yunjian City. Almost all of them were outer disciples who had studied in the palace for a year before being sent by Lu Huaiwei to various prefectures. Therefore, with the arrival of Yin Qiu and Bai Ling, the two of them became the most senior disciples in the area.
Bai Ling was free-spirited and unpretentious, and quickly became one of the group. She led her people across the grassland, making the disciples shake off their gloom of the past few days and greatly lift their spirits.
Yin Qiu was not skilled at riding and did not particularly enjoy riding. After running around a couple of times, he sat down to rest. Meng Jing had been summoned away by officials early in the morning. Hearing that a disciple of a medical elder had arrived at Yunhua Post Station, the prefect had specially invited him to treat the refugees. He did not return until nightfall.
The disciples had been busy these past few days, but today Bai Ling took the initiative to give them a break. The group lingered in the outskirts of the city and did not return to the post station for a long time. Yin Qiu sat in the bamboo shed all day. Seeing the clear night and the babbling river in the distance, he put on his outer robe and took a walk along the river to clear his mind.
A gentle breeze swept in from the river, carrying the frost unique to winter. It carried away the weariness of the body, but it could not blow away the sorrow in Yin Qiu's heart.
She was only pretending to be indifferent on the surface, but in reality she was still a little uneasy, especially since Nangong Min had just warned her that someone would kill her that night, and then Yin Qiu vomited blood for no reason the next day. It was hard not to make her wary.
Could it be that it has been poisoned or possessed by some evil spirit?
Why is it that only she can hear that flute music?
If he were poisoned, Meng Jing would surely be able to detect it; but if he were possessed by an evil spirit, such a thing doesn't exist in this world.
Thinking of this, Yin Qiu secretly activated his true energy.
Everything is normal, no different from any other day.
Zhu Bing trembled slowly under the fluctuation of true energy. Yin Qiu glanced at it and thought that this was the sword her mother had once used. She was overwhelmed with emotion and shook the dagger, which turned into a silver-white longsword. She then began to dance on the riverbank.
In the distance, tall flagpoles stood on the grassland, with several lanterns hanging on them. The faint light cast a hazy glow, and Yin Qiu's figure fluttered and undulated in this halo, like a light lark.
The wind ripped through the air, its sharp edge slicing through the ice, inappropriately masking the sudden footsteps echoing through the woods.
Only when Yin Qiu finished her sword dance and gracefully descended from mid-air did she slightly twitch her ear and hear that faint sound.
The sword, Zhu Bing, was still trembling and emitting a low sword cry. Yin Qiu turned around under the lush treetops and saw a ghostly figure suddenly standing in the dim woods behind him.
The cold wind intensified instantly, sweeping away the previous heat and adding a touch of unease. Yin Qiu's gaze darkened, and almost without thinking, he stepped onto a tree trunk and soared into the air, then dashed towards the grassland without a word.
Oh no! Her killers are here!
At that moment, Yin Qiu had only one thought in her mind. She was filled with regret and cursed herself for being so careless as to come here alone after dark. She must have had a death wish!
At the edge of his vision were his fellow disciples still laughing and playing on the grass. Yin Qiu dared not turn around rashly, and tried his best to increase his speed, pushing his lightness skill to its limit. Even so, the person behind him still caught up at an astonishing speed, without even making a sound.
Feeling a hand suddenly attack her shoulder, Yin Qiu knew something was wrong and quickly rolled over to avoid it. At the same time, she opened her mouth to call for help, but the person did not give her the chance. He grabbed Yin Qiu tightly from behind and quickly covered her lips.
Yin Qiu struggled a few times but couldn't break free. She was forced to let the man pull her to the ground. Once they were standing still, the man unexpectedly released Yin Qiu and drew a long sword to use his sword skills on her.
—It was as if he wanted to spar with Yin Qiu.
Upon seeing the gleaming silver sword in his haste, Yin Qiu frowned, and his movements slowed down as he tried to retaliate.
This sword looks familiar.
She hesitated for a moment in this critical moment, giving the other party a good opportunity to press their advantage. A dark shadow flashed before her eyes, and Yin Qiu felt a dull pain in her chest. She was kicked to the ground and fell backward.
At the same time, a clear, smiling voice rang out: "After all these years, all you've learned is this paltry skill? Shameful!"
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