Chapter 107
Water stains remained on the ground, and their clothes became wet after kneeling for only a short time. Disciple B remained silent, each of them keeping their heads down and kneeling obediently like quails.
The people under the eaves remained silent for a long time.
The courtyard lit up, the candlelight shining brightly in every corner. After a long while, Man Jiangxue said, "Meng Jing, you don't need to kneel. Stand up."
Meng Jing hesitated for a moment, intending to continue kneeling, but seeing that Man Jiangxue had spoken, he obediently got up and went to stand in the corridor.
Yin Qiu was still wondering what had happened and wanted to ask Bai Ling in a low voice what had happened, but when she saw that Man Jiangxue had specifically instructed Meng Jing not to kneel as punishment, she suddenly realized what had happened.
Horses were parked at the entrance of the post station. It seemed that Man Jiangxue had only recently arrived in Yunjian City. Today, none of his disciples B had stayed at the post station; they had gone to the pasture to ride horses. Man Jiangxue must have arrived at this time without seeing a single person. How could he not be angry?
Meng Jing was busy at the government office all day and did not participate in the trip to the grassland, so he naturally did not need to be punished.
After thinking it through, Yin Qiu suddenly realized that she was doomed tonight.
Unlike the others, she broke away from the group and secretly met with Fu Xiang. She returned later than Bai Ling and the others. When Man Jiangxue didn't see her, her anger only intensified.
It should be noted that when she and Man Jiangxue parted ways in Yao Dingcheng, Yin Qiu said some nice things, claiming that as a disciple of Jingyue Peak, it was necessary for her to stay outside the palace to do more things for Man Jiangxue, so that others would not think that Jingyue Peak did not have any decent people.
Unexpectedly, not long after, Yin Qiu completely forgot about those words. He did little of his business in Yun Jian City and instead led his fellow disciples in indulging in frivolous pursuits, thus embarrassing himself.
Yin Qiu was filled with regret and quickly lowered her head, no longer daring to look at Man Jiangxue.
On the other side, Man Jiangxue saw all the changes in her expression. She finished her cold tea without saying a word or scolding anyone with the airs of a senior uncle. She simply put down her teacup and turned to enter the small building.
Meng Jing was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to leave or stand still. Not daring to ask questions rashly, she could only stand still. However, she saw Man Jiangxue take two steps and then turn back to look at her. Meng Jing's eyelids twitched, and she moved to follow her.
The invisible pressure and silent accusations were more agonizing than a stern lecture. Disciples B all wore bitter expressions, their regret evident.
"Uncle-Master was so scary," Bai Ling whispered to Yin Qiu after Man Jiangxue and Meng Jing disappeared from sight. "I was so scared that I broke out in a cold sweat. I thought Uncle-Master was going to give me a good scolding."
Yin Qiu was still shaken. Glancing at the candlelight in the room on the second floor, she whispered back, "Uncle-Master... doesn't know how to curse."
“I actually hope she curses me out now,” Bai Ling said. “She’s even scarier when she doesn’t say anything!”
Yin Qiu sighed, "Based on my understanding of my martial aunt, she will only make me sincerely reflect on my mistakes, and will not punish me severely." She paused and then added, "In short, your B should be fine, but I can't say for sure."
Bai Ling understood what those words meant, and her gaze towards Yin Qiu softened with pity: "Then... take care."
Yin Qiu lowered his gaze and gave a dry laugh.
·
When Man Jiangxue entered the room, she saw a familiar coat folded on the bed and recognized it as Yin Qiu's room.
Meng Jing quickly lit the lamp and then deftly brewed tea. He said to Man Jiangxue, "Uncle, you must be tired from your journey. I'll go and boil some hot water for you to bathe in."
Man Jiangxue took off her brocade robe and casually tossed it onto Yin Qiu's outer garment. She pulled out a wooden chair, sat down, and noticed a bowl with some medicine residue on it on the table. She asked, "Who took this medicine?"
Meng Jing glanced at the medicine bowl and said, "...It's been cold and rainy lately, and I was worried that my disciple B might catch a cold, so I brewed some medicine for him to drink as a precaution."
After hearing this, Man Jiangxue fell silent again.
Seeing that she remained silent, Meng Jing felt a little uneasy.
If there's one person in the entire Yunhua Palace who inspires the most awe and fear in Meng Jing, it would undoubtedly be Man Jiangxue.
In her childhood, she was arrogant and reckless, with a capricious temperament and difficulty getting along with others. Because she suffered a lot of cold looks and exclusion from disciple B behind her back, and had not let go of her hatred during those years, Meng Jing always kept to herself. Apart from Yin Qiu, she hardly paid any attention to anyone.
It wasn't until she went to Wenxin Peak to study medicine that she gradually became more mature and composed. She also managed to cultivate her character and get rid of her violent temper. Even when facing Xie Yijun, she could act with grace and poise, without showing the slightest humility or timidity.
Only in front of Man Jiangxue, no matter how many years have passed, Meng Jing has never been able to restrain himself.
It was a deep-seated fear; she lacked the confidence to be open and honest in front of Man Jiangxue.
She couldn't lift her head.
"You may leave now," Man Jiangxue said shortly after, "but do not wake him up before midnight."
Seeing that she didn't ask too many questions about Yin Qiu, Meng Jing secretly breathed a sigh of relief and tried to remain calm as she left the room.
She went alone to the soup room and lit the boiler, preparing as much hot water as possible. When midnight was approaching, she went to the front yard and told her disciple B that he no longer needed to kneel.
After being exposed to the cold wind for half a day, disciple B's back ached from kneeling, and many people sneezed. They all quietly withdrew, not daring to disturb Man Jiangxue. Meng Jing descended the steps, helped Yin Qiu up, and said with a furrowed brow, "My master asked you several times today about the medicine bowl on the table that you didn't take away. She saw it. I let it slide by listening to your words, but don't let it slip from here."
Yin Qiu glanced at her gratefully, but didn't have time to talk to Meng Jing any longer, so she quickly ran upstairs.
Upon entering the corridor, Yin Qiu didn't rush to push the door open. Instead, she took a deep breath outside to mentally prepare herself before slowly pushing the door open. She called out softly, "Uncle-Master," and stepped inside. She found the room completely empty, with no sign of Man Jiangxue.
Where are they?
Yin Qiu held the door with both hands, peeked inside, and wondered why Man Jiangxue was not there. She muttered, "Where did my martial aunt go?" She let go of the door and was about to turn around to look for Man Jiangxue when she suddenly bumped into something and almost tripped over it.
Yin Qiu reacted extremely quickly. As she stumbled, she decisively performed a beautiful side somersault, instantly pulling herself back from the brink of falling. However, before she could regain her footing, a long leg suddenly appeared in her line of sight. The leg landed perfectly on the back of Yin Qiu's knee with overwhelming force, almost instantly crushing Yin Qiu without any ability to defend herself.
Yin Qiu felt her legs go weak, and then she knelt down with a thud.
A low laugh came from behind.
Yin Qiu had been kneeling in the courtyard for a long time, and she had been enduring the pain to get upstairs, making her steps unsteady. Now, kneeling again, the pain in her knees became even more unbearable. Yin Qiu cried out "Ouch!" and turned around, clutching her knees. She saw Man Jiangxue standing by the corridor with a smile on her face, and couldn't help but get angry, saying, "Uncle-Master, you've gone too far!"
Man Jiangxue's smile remained unchanged as she looked at Yin Qiu with great interest and said, "Who are you kneeling to? I'm right here."
Yin Qiu was speechless for a moment, then got up and dusted off her skirt, her tone somewhat harsh: "You can't treat people like this..."
"Is this considered bullying?" Man Jiangxue said. "I've already shown you extra mercy by not making you kneel until dawn tomorrow."
Yin Qiu was angry, but he had to admit that Man Jiangxue had indeed shown leniency today. If it were anyone else, who knows how he would have been punished? There was no reason why he would be allowed to kneel for two hours and that would be the end of it.
"Do you know how many days it takes to get from Yunhua Mountain to here?" Man Jiangxue asked slowly, leaning against the railing.
Yin Qiu thought for a moment: "Even if we ride at full speed, it would take at least seven or eight days."
“If it were seven or eight days, that wouldn’t be considered fast,” Man Jiangxue said. “I only took four days.”
Four days? Yin Qiu was a little surprised: "Why is Uncle-Master running in such a hurry?"
"What do you think?" Man Jiangxue's gaze was calm, and her tone was indifferent. "I've been working day and night, without eating or drinking, just in case something happens to you outside. And you, on the other hand, are leading people off to ride horses and have fun, neglecting your duties."
Yin Qiu looked embarrassed and scratched his head: "I'm perfectly fine, what could possibly happen to me...?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Admit your mistake first."
Yin Qiu glanced at her quickly and stammered, "I'm sorry, Martial Aunt, I know I was wrong..."
“You’re getting worse and worse,” Man Jiangxue said. “I’ve spoiled you too much. You’ve been going down the mountain to gain experience all these years. If I’m not watching you, you’ll have the guts to climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles.”
Yin Qiu was rendered speechless by her scolding, hanging her head without saying a word. After a long while, she sighed softly and said, "I know I was wrong, I won't do it again, please don't scold me anymore, Martial Aunt..."
“You can’t even scold me anymore,” Man Jiangxue wouldn’t let her off the hook, “You won’t listen to me if I say a few more words.”
Yin Qiu had no choice but to shut her mouth again.
Seeing her dejected appearance, Man Jiangxue was both annoyed and amused, but she was finally relieved.
“I haven’t been feeling quite at ease since I returned to the palace,” Man Jiangxue waved to Yin Qiu. “I feel like something’s not right. Did you encounter anything on your way to Yun Jian City?”
Yin Qiu walked towards Man Jiangxue, paused almost imperceptibly upon hearing this, and calmly replied, "No, I had a safe journey."
"Really?" A slightly unnatural look flashed across Meng Jing's face. Man Jiangxue put her arm around Yin Qiu and asked as she looked down, "Why do you always smell like medicine lately?"
Feeling Man Jiangxue's nose almost touching her forehead, Yin Qiu listened to her light breathing and replied, "Really? I didn't feel it myself." After saying that, she pretended to remember something for a moment, "Oh, right, it's been raining heavily lately, and the weather is even colder. Meng Jing was worried that everyone would catch a cold, so he brewed medicine for me B to drink these past two days. I guess that's the reason?"
Man Jiangxue glanced at her twice, as if trying to discern the truth of her words, or perhaps intently sniffing the scent, before finally saying, "This scent... seems familiar."
It should be known that Meng Jing prescribed medicine for preventing colds at all. Fearing that Man Jiangxue would actually smell it, Yin Qiu quickly pretended to be unable to stand the cold wind and jumped around a few times, taking the opportunity to leave Man Jiangxue's embrace.
"It's too cold in the corridor, Uncle-Master, let's go back to the room to talk."
Man Jiangxue's eyes flickered, and she glanced at Yin Qiu with an ambiguous look before saying, "Go and fetch my clothes. I want to take a bath."
Yin Qiu was just waiting for her to do something, so upon hearing this, she rushed into the room and quickly rushed out again, saying happily, "Let's go then!"
·
Disciple B was punished and obediently went to their rooms to rest early. The disciples on night duty were also on high alert, not daring to relax. There was no one moving around in the courtyard. Yin Qiu took Man Jiangxue to the bathhouse and thoughtfully opened the door for her, saying, "Uncle, go and wash up. I'll wait for you outside."
Man Jiangxue hummed in agreement, and as she entered, she reached out and shoved Yin Qiu on the forehead, saying, "Go back to your room and wait."
Yin Qiu chuckled and closed the door behind her. She waited in the outer room for a moment, then remembered what Man Jiangxue had said earlier. She ran to the kitchen and quickly cooked rice, stir-fried a few light dishes, and made a pot of lotus root soup. Finally, she packed the food into a food box, kept it warm with cotton cloth, and sent it back to the room ahead of time.
After finishing all this, Yin Qiu was covered in a thin layer of sweat and felt a little uncomfortable. She had fought with Fu Xiang by the river earlier, and had already sweated a lot. She had originally planned to take a bath after returning to the inn to clean herself up before going to sleep. Yin Qiu took her change of clothes and went downstairs again. Listening to the sounds coming from the bathhouse, she thought that Man Jiangxue should be done washing up, so she knocked on the door and said, "Uncle, are you done washing up? I'd like to wash up too."
A moment later, Man Jiangxue's voice came from inside the house: "It's done."
Yin Qiu's ears were sore from the cold. Upon hearing this, she quickly pushed open the door and went inside. The room was filled with white mist and heat, mixed with the fresh scent of soap. Man Jiangxue stood behind the screen, and it was clear that she was getting dressed.
The hazy, damp mist blurred the lamps, turning them into a puddle of water. On the screen, there was a delicate and elegant ink painting depicting a field of daffodils, lifelike, graceful, and refined.
There was a person standing among the flowers.
A beautiful woman whose features are indistinct but whose figure is graceful.
The beauty's long hair was disheveled, as if it had just been washed and was still wet. She stood to the side, her graceful curves seemingly outlined by a single stroke, shapely and undulating, every part perfectly proportioned, clearly revealed in the dappled light, concealing the floral pattern.
Yin Qiu stood by the hot spring and inadvertently caught a glimpse of the shadow on the screen. Her gaze shifted slightly, and her long eyelashes trembled gently.
A soft rustling sound reached her ears. The projected arm in the painting was slightly raised, draped in a close-fitting undergarment. The movement was light and slow. Yin Qiu watched quietly, and involuntarily raised her hand, moving it across the shadow.
Damp hair, relaxed shoulders, a flat and slender waist, and delicate ankles hidden by the hem of her skirt.
Through a layer of mist, the faint outline gradually disappeared beneath the fabric. All the spring scenery that could not be witnessed vanished in this short time, like a fleeting moment or a sudden autumn breeze, disappearing in an instant.
Yin Qiu's hand was still raised, hesitant to fall. She vaguely stroked along the outline. The distance was clearly so far, but the warmth slowly rising from her fingertips felt like she was actually touching it.
It wasn't until a glimpse of a snow-white skirt peeked out from the edge of the screen that Yin Qiu suddenly snapped out of her daze and hurriedly withdrew her hand.
What is she doing?
Yin Qiu blushed instantly and began to tremble uncontrollably from head to toe. She barely had time to think and leaped to her side, diving into the pool before Man Jiangxue could circle around the screen.
In an instant, water splashed, the hot spring shook, and the whole room was filled with the loud sound of water.
Man Jiangxue had just stepped outside when she saw this and paused, taking a slight step back. She was just a little bit away from having her skirt wet by the splash of water that Yin Qiu had thrown up.
She glanced at the figure in the pool with utter indifference, her fingers fastening the pearl button on her dress, showing no reaction whatsoever.
When Yin Qiu emerged from the water, panting heavily, Man Jiangxue said, "You were quiet for quite a while after coming in, and then you suddenly jumped into the pool."
After saying this, she walked to the edge of the pond and looked down at Yin Qiu, saying in an extremely calm tone, "Have you done something shameful that you're so busy hiding?"
The author has something to say: No way, I found another great book these past two days. After reading it, I feel like my own writing is child's play.
And when will this story finally end? Damn it, there's still so much to write! I can't wait to start the next one.
Help.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
